Modern music is more often than not used as a force for evil. Well, not quite evil but perhaps as an excuse to indulge in unhealthy, physical as well as egoic, excess. Music, to many, is a key to unlocking a door that gives access to fame and fortune, admiration, adoration and self-importance. It is nothing new, but you would have thought we would have learnt the pitfalls of chasing such dreams by now.
Which is why I appreciate The Music Therapy Experiment so much, because John Kline and Mark Christianson, the people behind the project, use their musical powers for good. It is palpable in the music, and their latest single, Islands of Kindness, is the pinnacle of this sonic journey to date.
Smooth instrumental music that wanders through fluid jazz-scapes and scintillating ambient rock realms; cinematic and soothing, ornate and sophisticated, it is a sound which seems to cocoon the listener in an oasis of calm, a sonic representation of the Island of Kindness of the title perhaps.
And it may seem just like another piece of music, albeit an exquisite and finely crafted work, but there is much more happening here. The beats are busy and seductive, the spacious spirals of guitar, tranquil, the wandering brass that leads this gentle sonic charge is smooth and relaxing. There might be a lot going on here, but it is never overwhelming to the senses; somehow, the song’s sonic crescendoes and musical highs have the opposite effect; they are majestic rather than muscular, melodic to the point of mellifluous, immersive rather than impactful.
It is music that is the equivalent of a warm bath after a hard day or a cool drink in the sunshine. Music that takes you in its sonic arms and provides sustenance and comfort resets the brain and recharges the batteries. When was the last time a three-minute pop song had that effect on you?
https://open.spotify.com/track/35kfB2rcW2LJtN66FV0iXb?si=f191da890367474a
Discover more from Dancing About Architecture
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
