I often wonder on what basis blockbuster movie directors choose the artists for the soundtrack. They seem to play at the perfect moment, at intersection of coincidences, a whisper for solitude and so on. Prang has the same idea going, except all the songs are his and the movie is your life. The album is called The Idea of an Ever-Shrinking Life.
Prang creates upbeat tracks with rolling melodies and several sheets of different instruments. The songs are valleys & hills, offering ranges of serene terrenes to funky grooves. It is an idea that materialized during the pandemic, and instead of souring away in a locked room, Prang decides to create some magic. And magic it is.
Sorcery in solitude
Starting strong with Welcome Home, Prang lays down some melodies with clean guitar & a neat bass line. The drums stand out as a crisp, separate layer, and the vocals come after a few bars. Layering the guitar sounds like Johnny Marr, Prang creates a pastry with flaky tones that are a good teaser for what is about to come.
If you thought the bassline in Welcome Home was funky because of what I said, I apologize immediately. Haunting comes in with that 80’s piano synth everybody was in love with, before revealing the protagonist. The snappy funk guitar that drives in later sounds like some Cory Wong, and Prang has it covered top to toe. The solo is a great touch as well. Really fun track to listen to.
Harnessing the Blur era for the next track, Prang changes the tempo up with We Were All Just Doing Fine. Again, bass is catchy as ever, with some lyrics in focus because of how its presented. The falsetto harmonics is delightful, if you’re really listening to the track. Prang reveals the diverse concoctions he can create with the compositions and I’m enjoying myself.
Electropop & synths in an album where there was funk? Yes audiophile, it can really happen- as shown in the track New Direction. Whoever is delivering the bass is crushing it, because most of the times the melodies hook me so hard, I forget to listen to the lyrics. Clean, smooth, and aged well like good whiskey. The instrumentals push through the latitude, revealing some top-notch production and skill.
Though I read it for the pure interest or for the professional reason for writing this review, I realized that everything you hear has been recorded by Prang. That’s right-one man band. Good to mention before getting into the next track-Milk. Delving into the world of synth, Prang performs a powerful track that has amazing synthscapes and acoustics. Though longer than the usual tracks in his album, you hardly feel the time pass by, like sand in an hourglass.
A cool clean reverb guitar riff anoints the next track- An-Ever Shrinking Life. Also part of the album title, it relies on minimal drums in the beginning and goes on a full-blown attack percussion wise. It is a track with strange duality, with fiery tempo and silky acoustics. Beyond impressed by now.
Just how Spirali opens should give you an idea of how great this track is. Prang drawls over with his signature singing style, while the instruments make you want to dance. Minimal melodies and effective only by the style and musicality. The force is extremely strong with this one.
Using a popular beat to open but exploring some beautiful guitar tones and styles, Can’t Get Enough shifts to a Tame Impala session. Once again, bass is king, along with some sweet John Mayer tonal quality to the guitar sound. This song could play forever in my ears- just by how fantastic the final product is.
Experimenting with some sound effects with simple chord layers, Red Wool is an ode to when pop used to be good. The synth sound is mesmerizing, and carries the track, while Prang softly sings over the ocean of sound. The reverb setting is just right, so the guitars don’t tend to dominate. Charismatic.
Balancing out the album, Prang shifts back to an upbeat track Foolproof. With an edgy sound to the drums, the synths flow in with creative vocal harmonies. This song once again, due to the presentation pushes the vocals and hence the lyrics. It has some tempting guitar work and sound flourishes as well.
Simmering down again for the penultimate track You’re Right, Prang places drums and layers some interesting effects plus synths to create space for some catchy chorus and vocals. The background is still as intense as ever, shaping the closer.
Closing the album with Give Me, Prang seams in more guitar to create a reverb room within which you can dream. The beat and bass is interesting as well, seeming out of place for a second and that’s when the track snaps. It switches at the chorus, putting a smile on your face because of the journey you’ve had.
Prang has proven his worth and more with his new album. It sparkles, glitters & shines and in moments colours the room blue & grey. It has all the marks of a well-balanced and produced album and is the result of introspection & pure wizardry. I have nothing but compliments for this album, and no track has been placed as a filler. Composed in capacity.
Listen to the wonderful magic of Prang here:
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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.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.
