ALBUM REVIEW: Castanets and City of Refuge
- Posted on October 6, 2008 10:35 AM
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Castanets
Raposa’s Riveting Refuge.
Review by Sean Connolly
Ray Raposa’s City of Refuge deals with the compelling theme of loss and despair. His material attacks all senses with spine tingling tracks from vocal based songs such as ‘After the Fall’, reminiscent of Springsteen’s Nebraska, to hypnotic chants on ‘City of Refuge’s' electronic sounds throughout ‘High Plain 2’ and western style guitar on ‘Shadow Valley’.
Raposa uses sounds to stimulate reactions and emotions as well as introducing songs. This is highlighted with tracks such as ‘I’ll Fly Away’ which is preceded by electronic fuzz. Although it may seem unusual to do this the listener is rewarded with a song similar in style to the band Fleet Foxes.
Raposa forces his listener into a cinematic journey with songs like ‘Pretties Chain’ in which drug induced images are frequenting their mindset. One becomes subservient to the melodies and to an extent imprisoned as they are unable to comprehend the feelings they are experiencing. Its progression is not just evident in its originality but extends to the flow of the album and how each track is carefully positioned so that one is gripped and engaged intimately.
The album possesses tracks that have the potential to become musical interludes for either a Rodriguez or Tarantino film. With haunting and hypnotic guitar rhythms that support the eeriness of Raposa’s vocals, the loss and despair that is prevalent throughout is left with the listener to contemplate and digest.
It is an eclectic album in every sense encompassing a variety of elements that encourages the listener to return again and again with vim.
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