Galgano, John: Real Life is Meeting

As the bassist/vocalist for art rockers IZZ, multi-instrumentalist John Galgano has already received a lot of acclaim for his various talents. On his newest solo effort, Real Life is Meeting, he continues to impress thanks to intriguing melodies, beautiful and quirky constructions, and a concrete sense of individuality. Although it's not as diverse as it could be, the album flows like one continuously joyous affair, and the way it balances earnest songwriting and vintage instrumentation is exceptional.

Album opener "Real Life is Meeting, Pt 1" is a simple ballad. Galgano constructs tasteful and affective guitar layers underneath his distressed melody, which he delivers with fine grace. Really, his voice bares similarity to that of Danny Elfman at his most fragile. It's an effective and subtle way to start. Elsewhere, tracks like "Bigger on the Inside," "The Only Thing," and "Lucky for Me," with their liveliness and dual gender harmonies, captures the same style of poppy folk as early Phideaux releases. The latter two are especially rich thanks to their orchestration and psychedelic Beatles guitar solo.

The centerpiece of Real Life is Meeting is the twenty minute "1000," which, according to its subtle, contains six distinct parts. It begins with fairly complex vocal arrangements over equally hypnotic acoustic guitar arpeggios. Eventually percussion, keys, and other exciting timbres increase the energy. A few minutes later, Galgano transitions into a very sorrowful piano ballad, which is probably the most powerful section on the album. Afterward, things become a bit more tricky and invigorating as he and his musicians capture perfectly the essence of late 60s psychedelic prog. As for the rest of the piece, it continues to evolve with more complex guitar patterns, intriguing melodies, and lovely timbres, recalling brilliant artists like Nektar, Camel and Caravan in the process.

Real Life is Meeting is a wonderful record, really. Galgano is definitely a talented songwriter, singer, and musician, and he definitely ensures that his singular vision come to fruition. It's a bold move to make something this personal and idiosyncratic, which likely means that it will appeal to a limited audience; however, those to whom it appeals will definitely find something quite rewarding and touching.

Track Listing:

1) Real Life is Meeting, Pt. 1
2) Bigger on the Inside
3) Lucky for Me
4) This is How it Happens
5) The Only Thing
6) Look Around
7) 1000
8) Real Life is Meeting, Pt. 2
9) Galgano Bonus Track

Added: March 12th 2013
Reviewer: Jordan Blum
Score:
Related Link: Official Facebook Page
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Language: english

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