Resonant Reflections - The Great Divide

Resonant Reflections

​The Great Divide
​self-released; 2022

3.8 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

Chris and Brian aka Resonant Reflections have known each other since 1999. They have a history together making music and recently released an EP entitled The Great Divide. They mention “Our music is mainly rock or alternative rock. We have roots from The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Tool, Led Zeppelin, Sound Garden, etc. For themes we are heavily conceptual, but more recently found a way to make our songs appeal to the masses, but with the same storytelling. As for the muse, we tell the hero’s journey (balance between good and evil), as well as the social political divide.”

The first song is entitled “The Climb” and I noticed the ’70s influence right off the bat. I liked the great tone and everything felt smooth. There is also a nice use of soaring atmosphere which seems to be another guitar. The vocals are catchy and I felt the song was quite motivational. It’s a solid opener that got me engaged and I was ready to hear more.

Next up is “Beyond Judgement” which starts with a heavy drum beat and a more mysterious type of sound. It reminded me of the band Tool as they were more into Pink Floyd. The chorus however is more straightforward and aligns with ’70s classic rock. The vocalist shows off his range here. He reaches the limits of that range on the chorus but still sounds good. This is another solid song. 

“We’re So Close” was very interesting. It begins with what sounds like it could be a harpsichord that combines with a xylophone. There’s this wicked transition around the twenty-second mark that leads to the verse. As the song progresses it blossoms with acoustic guitar chords and other instrumentation. It’s a very hopeful sounding song when the chorus arrives. 

“When Somedays” had a little Tom Waits thing going on at least in terms of the music. There’s a mix of pads, guitar and drums. The vocal performance is very expressive on this song, almost a little too expressive at points.  I also thought the piano was well done in the song which highlighted certain sections and was able to change the mood of the song.

Up next is “Gotta Come Together” and I loved the more mysterious and pensive energy. The electric piano sounds great. I also thought this song contained one of the best vocal performances. The tone is just about perfect and the vocalist stays within a natural range. I also liked how the song felt more joyous as it progressed.

Last up is “Looking Glass” which is the arguable highlight. This song had the most cosmic vibe and aligned nicely with Pink Floyd. The music is ethereal but also quite epic. I loved how grand the chorus was in particular. There’s also some very cool sound design on this song.

​Fans of ’70s rock should enjoy this most but I found their music to be accessible because of the hooks and top notch production. There’s a lot to appreciate here so take a listen.

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