Casey Abrams has had and continues to have quite the illustrious career. His songs range from interesting alternative covers to compelling originals that trace his journey through varied styles of music. The latest album is a joint effort between Casey Abrams & Sam Stokes. The album is called Conscious Stars, a vocal and harmonic deluxe redux with the apparent sorcery of concurrence.
Hypnotizing harmonics and simple acoustic guitar marks the beginning of this album, with Heart of the Universe. Complementing vocals and a heartfelt chord progression make this one to really engrave in your brain. The melody is piloted through with mesmerizing ease, and like a well-made dessert, melts within your very being. There is a belief of yin and yang with this kind of music, the balance coming from Casey and Sam joining forces.
The performing ability of Casey Abrams lies in the dynamic of performance with Sam, letting a composed melody infuse. Lady Lady Love Me is a perfect example, the track opening with notes suspended through moments of time. The percussions really ease in, entertaining a lead that flows into the vocals. The soft melody and percussive rhythm really play off each other to make a heart-warming track.
Dance deep within the groove
All My Friends are Here dives into an R&B sound to create some sorcery. The harmonics really sell the melody, sustaining yet echoing with quality. The tempo changes to an interesting groove, making it a Stevie Wonder A side instantly. It is emphatic how well Casey and Sam can swim between genres and yet make the sound a cohesive unit. Moonlight Starlight is an acoustic lullaby that seems to be a gem of cosmic matter for our ears. To keep it simple, creative ambiances assist the melody, strings and vocals creating a swirling image of the night sky.
Lost Lily brings jazz aficionado Casey Abrams to show us some quality songwriting. The strings display their exuberance, in a delicate tango of sorts. The rich twang of the bass can be heard in several instances, rooting the melody of the track. Mother Showed Us brings in the goodness of folk with the good-natured warmth of acoustic songwriting. The balance lies in the dynamics of the voice, one picking up a bouquet in the spectrum. The result is a moving track- a story to tell your psyche.
Emphatic energy
The title track is the penultimate one. A funky guitar rhythm section is in tandem with the vocals-creating a swelling masterpiece. The lyrics put into perspective, our perspective. Slide guitar brings in another interesting element, giving this track a lot of character. The brass comes in as well, making this a multilayered polymath if personified.
Closing this album is acoustic wonder, Mountain Air. Recorded with the real scratch of an impromptu session, the smiles and connect are imminent. The textural quality with which Sam strums the chords gently with her acoustic guitar is worth dwelling about-there is care and effort into creating this kind of music. Soul food disguised as music treatment.
If there is to be a noted change in Casey’s “usual” sound, Sam Stokes is the platonic shift. From production and mixing to joining hands to write the lyrics and orchestration, this is the “While My Guitar…” collaboration Casey knew he needed. These energies were meant to find a path together.
Casey Abrams & Sam Stokes have shown us a glimpse into another duo of interesting minds post this pandemic. It warrants change of character, forging new sounds and forming a new voice. The lyrics are derived from real moments, and they strike the ones that listen to them carefully. For crossing genres and boundaries, Casey Abrams and Sam Stokes have engineered from scratch their contender for a masterpiece.
Listen to the album here:
Check out our playlists here!
Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.
Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
