Misty Island - Illustrations

​Misty Island

Illustrations
​self-released; 2022

3.8 out of 5

By Dan Weston
​

Misty Island is a psychedelic indie rock project based in Florida, led by twenty- three year old songwriter/producer Brandon Davis who recently released Illustrations. According to Davis “The project is a studio-based voyage into experimental rock and psychedelia, debuting in 2022 with the release of its first album, Illustrations. The project is currently continuing to record new material, and will be making forays into live performances soon.”

The songs are lush and atmospheric. I was often reminded of a more subdued Tame Impala and The Beatles. Things get going with “Morning High” which revolves around clean guitar picking, a subtle but funky bass and steady 4/4 beat. I heard what sounded like a xylophone as well. The vocals are strong and I thought the melodies were accessible and memorable.

It was easy to appreciate “Summer of Love” which is a wonderfully poppy song that should put you in a good mood. The song has a similar peppy energy that you heard on the song “Penny Lane” by The Beatles. I was impressed by the quality of the song between the smooth ’70s funk of “Ease My Mind” and the ’60s folk flower power on “Flowers in the Sand” that is reminiscent of some of the earlier work from The Beatles. 

One of my favorites was “The World Will Turn” which is a little more melancholy and introspective than some of the previous songs. The song has some very cool experimentation in a Pink Floyd type of way and I found the vocals to be very well delivered. There are a number of grooves here and I found the bass and guitar work to build off each other in dynamic ways.

“Watercolor Fairytale” was a wonderful song and another high point on the album. The orchestral strings here sound fantastic against the vocalist. “(You've Got) Nothing Left to Hide” was money as well between the catchy vocals and dreamy and psychedelic effects.

At this point we are only halfway through the album since there are a whopping fourteen songs. I thought there were a number of highlights but I can’t say there were any songs I didn’t like. 

“Stargazer's Lament” sounds somewhere between Elton John and David Bowie while “Tomorrow is Calling My Name” and “I Still Love You” showcase strong vocal melodies. The closer “Supernova of Dawn” was great and sounded like a tip of the hat to “Tomorrow Never Knows” by The Beatles.

​I thought this was a great album. Granted the influences were fairly obvious to pinpoint but there’s no denying the songwriting and production. Recommended.

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