Who doesn’t like good thought provoking Ambient laced music? I’d bet not all the hands go up in the air right away. I mean, while Ambient might not be your first choice, most people can’t deny getting into many top shelf synthetic music and admit to really enjoying finely crafted music within the genre after all. Well, keeping all this in mind the latest release by New York’s own Ian C. Bouras entitled “Pieces of the Past” is an exceptional ambient disc that’s a very entertaining and soothing to the mind, body and soul. But wait it’ goes even further than Ambient, also present traces of Chill, Dub, and Progressive Electronic based Jazz.
Pioneering a new neo-jazz posture Ian. C Bouras makes an impression via musical poetry and modern expression in a beautifully pained existence. Their music takes you through a journey of all-encompassing sounds from soft ambience to aggressive repetition. This his third CD, “Pieces of the Past” explores the race we all face against time, inner angst and an isolated longing. The musical pacing relevant to the projects creator. Did I mention Bouras was nominated by Billboard Magazine to be among the top songwriters in 2004 and 2005 for his work with AñaVañA. This CD seems myself and Bouras are on the same wavelength – because I get his song titles. Though the songs’ themes are mostly stark and somewhat truth-troubled, the music aims to leave listeners with a warmth and inner peace. But it isn’t all melancholic music as the fourth track “The Fear of Being Hurt” captures the fleeting moment of fear itself. Just listen to marquee tracks like “In Mysterious Ways” and “Everything You’ve Always Wanted” and you will see my perspective. I got hooked on Bouras immediately after the first few moments of “Everything you’ve Ever Wanted” How would I describe his music? They re-define ambient music with touches of modern avant garde classical synthetic or electro-pop. Case in point you will also hear Saxophone, Strings, and Acoustic Guitar. Bouras offers a fresh new sound capturing a unique menagerie of all the aforementioned genres with the intent of restoring roots into the modern day music scene. Intelligent melody layering and catchy grooves are the heart of his formula. I like how Bouras just pts it out there and is not trying to cater to any particular style in general. The music brings at times danceable tunes, easy going “not so heartfelt” ballads, and an element of good well-crafted movements together sure to provoke a positive reaction from every listener and attendee. What’s more the production work from Bouras delivers syncopated musical synergy with all other members as yet another enticing advent. Kudos goes out to the amazing fretwork from Bouras. In fact it’s the strong point of the CD is Bouras and his Accoutic Guitar. The guitar is a big part of his sound. The vibe lends sort of a electro-classic sound to the disc, begging comparisons to the Air, Royksopp, Fathless, The Prodigy.
My Top Track: “In Mysterious Ways”
I could be wrong but the main focus of this CD could be about life itself. Ian C. Bouras also manage to move between the mellower sounds and the more grooving ones. All in all it’s a powerful combination that puts a guy like Ian C. Bouras on the map for 2015.
Score: 4/5 Stars
Purchase Link: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/iancbouras2
Reverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/iancbouras
Review by Eric Hodel
