(Off) The Beaten Tracks - Sand made the footsteps

(Off) The Beaten Path

Sand made the footsteps
MediaCroco Records; 2013

4.0 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

One thing I know about Sand made the footsteps the new album from the group or artist called (Off) The Beaten Path is that it is music that is intended for travelers as the album is made of stories from around the globe The music is supposed to tell stories that the listener can visualize but also very descriptive stories you wouldn't be aware of unless you did some research. One reason for this is that the album is instrumental and contains no lyrics. The fifth song on the album “Koh Rong” while innovative and possibly some of the best world music you have never heard is about a guy who owned a somewhat secretive bar on this Island on Koh Rong” How this song is supposed to translate this specific story to me without words is beyond me but one thing I know for sure is that I enjoyed the song. In fact all the songs on this album are pretty enjoyable. From start to finish every song is crafted with the utmost care as they utilize a wide variety of common and not so common instruments. The beautiful production washes over all the songs and only benefits the rich instrumentation on the album.
 
We are treated with “Awakening” as our opening track, which has a worldly rhythmic section that drives the songs. Waves of bells, synths and many other sounds create a relaxing vibe however not so relaxing that I was about to fall asleep any time soon as the track was too interesting to pass up. The song is the shortest and it seamlessly blends into “Journey” which takes things down a couple of notches. “Journey” can sound like field music.  At times you might hear something that sounds as if it came from a location like Indonesia if they decided not to implement heavy kick drums into their music. As the music progresses a collage of sounds only gets more interesting as it progresses. "Sand made the Footsteps: has a bit of a Persian vibe. It relies on smooth tones that sound both inviting and mysterious. “Meet Me in Vung Tau” is arguably the best track on the album. I was a big fan of the intersecting chanting harmonies and it made the song for me. The album closes with the most ambient track entitled “Cycles,” which has very little percussive elements.

When it comes to world music, you can’t get more appropriate than this. World music sometimes has a bad stigma attached but not in this case. This album feels energetic, alive and full of human experience despite not saying a word.

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