Estrella

Mike Vanportfleet returns to tranquilize listeners yet again. The album is very accessible and relaxing, far more than in the past, even when you're not feeling particularly sorrowful or depressed. Violent beauty is what Estrella has in store for you the listener, almost as if it were an exotic flower which entrances the eye, whispering for you to come near, until you are close enough to touch it. Then, after brushing it with your fingertips, an icy sensation crawls up your spine. You lie still, paralyzed by its nectar, as you drift into the numbing realm of Lycia. Be forewarned, the new album is much more ethereal and beautiful than past releases by the band, experimenting with brighter sound and more complex tone qualities. A sharp contrast from the previous Cold, which floundered in a dark claustrophobic corner of sound, Estrella, meaning star, looks out toward the galaxy, rather then within. Opener "Clouds in the Southern Sky" used an interesting variety of drum machine techniques, as did several other tracks, which is very atypical of the band. It allows you to escape your daily trials and tribulations, whereupon you travel to a surreal dream world where your spirit can be cleansed of its demons. Test out Lycia, and take the journey — you will not return the same.