BUsted luster - Exits and Onramps

Busted Luster

Exits and Onramps
self-released; 2014

3.6 out of 5

By Eva Cantillo

Welcome to smooth folk-inspired indie music that is perfect for a long road trip through Exits and Onramps. Busted Luster is a solo-musician project from an artist based out of Detroit. Throughout the years of songwriting and playing with various bands, Busted Luster came to be through the exploration of folk-oriented music and personal songwriting endeavors.

The opening track enchantingly titled “Whispers” begins with some nice chimes and sweet piano chords that seem to go on and on in a very melancholy and hypnotizing way. The second song is a deeper immersion into the world of Busted Luster. “Taking Root” begins with a nice percussion and more pretty chimes and soon we are introduced to the pleasant voice behind Exits and Onramps; “tiny helicopters, they descend, I sit on my porch and I watch them… fall to the ground.” Despite this ominous opening, the song has an upbeat and uplifting vibe and the lyrics go on to state, “the journey will be treacherous… By chance or by luck some find a spot to take root and grow.”

“Next to You” is a song that is inspired by lost or bad love, or a love that is just too strong to bear. The lyrics in this track are very telling and there is a sweet build up in the entire song that slowly but surely escalates until the beautiful guitar finale toward the end.  By listening to the lyrics, the whole persona of the song makes sense; “Do you realize the weight of your words? How each syllable draws me further in,” and further describing, “do you somehow know how starving I have been? ... When you are around the hunger only grows.” It seems to embody a hopelessly romantic love and the lyrics embody the sentiments with sophisticated metaphors.

The soft, yet uplifting music in Exits and Onramps really encompasses a smooth and relaxing journey through time and space. The album is well produced and each song has its own unique persona to divulge. Anyone that gravitates toward folk music will enjoy this collection of smooth, indie-folk inspired songs. 

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