At the helm of Volcano Moon is California singer/songwriter Brian Lilla who collaborates with musicians up and down the West Coast to give you a mixture of acoustic, indie and folk songs here on his self-titled debut album Volcano Moon. All these tracks were recorded and mixed during the pandemic. The entire process was done remotely and no musicians on the album ever got together to play in the same room. Initially, all the vocal and guitar songs were recorded by Lilla and then passed on to other musicians who added to the takes. From start to finish a collaborative effort, Volcano Moon is our first look into what the band is all about.
Volcano Moon gets started with “Dropped Off In The Tenderloin,” where some melancholic acoustic guitar opens up this track. The sounds slowly evolve and have a way of growing on you. The melody meanders for a bit and gradually builds in sound. Once Lilla’s stark vocals arrive, you can feel the emotional powers of his voice. Though he sings in a rather straightforward manner, you can sense the sadness flowing from his singing. This is a simply rendered sound with just vocals and acoustic guitar. More subdued guitar sounds out on “Mountain Girl.” The guitar provides a mellow ambiance. There’s a bluesy twang to the music and vocals this time. I was arrested right away. Changing things up for a more fuller band sound is “Do It Again.” The electric guitar revs up for a driven sound. Once the vocals came in, I was getting some punk with bursts of hard rock vibes. Heading back to acoustic territory is the next track “Rattlesnakes & Unicorns.” Lilla is joined by some female vocals. I was loving the light but flavorful acoustic and folk sounds from this song. More moody strumming coming from the acoustic guitar struts out in the start of “Fantastico.” Once more Lilla’s vocals alone with the guitar makes for a simple but emotional resonant sound. Lilla’s vocals come across nearly spoken word as he half poetry slams and sings the lyrics. More mellow acoustic guitar lays out the atmosphere on “Candlesticks.” This track was another sparse acoustic ballad. Lilla is joined by more female vocal harmonies. The simple but soulful manner in which this song is executed really spoke to me. On “Summers Gone,” the acoustic guitar underlines this track with an easy-going appeal. Lilla’s vocals here reminded me of Postal Service. Especially the simple but resonating vibes really pointed me to bands like them and Iron and Wine. On “A-Train,” some horns erupt out in the start of this track. Some mellow guitars also ground the sounds. I loved how laid-back and easy-going everything sounded. Lilla’s vocals are once more soft and gentle. Again, I thought the Iron and Wine and Postal Service references made sense here as well. Some upbeat strumming from the acoustic guitar lights up the sounds on “Won’t You Be My Lover.” Once Lilla’s hushed vocals came in, the music also eases in with a hushed sensibility. Some beats also highlight the sounds. This is another memorable number from the band as they send us off with this catchy and upbeat finale. Even though everything was done remotely, it doesn’t feel that way. All the instrumentals, vocal parts and harmonies really came together to great effect. Gradually as you listen on, you will see that Lilla hones into a very melancholic singer/songwriter vibe with this record. There’s lots of mood and ambiance to these tracks and I can definitely see myself listening to this as I sip on some caffeinated drink in a coffee establishment somewhere. It looks like the band is only getting started and I look forward to seeing where they go from here.
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