Album Review/ Folk Rock : Backstorm’s ‘Dark Cloud’
Backstrom is the sonic banner of folk rock artist and singer-songwriter, Bart Topher. Contemplative pulse is the primary feature of his tracks. The narratives across all his tracks have an undeniable depth, his narratives compelling you to go deeper and deeper into the theme. His latest release is the ‘Dark Clouds EP’, a melancholic collection that delves into poetry and philosophy, in search of explanations.
The title track introduces the mood, the energy, and the vibrations of the EP. Bart Topher achieves compositional excellence. With elegant rhythms, swirling melodies, fluid narratives, and thoughtful vocals, he shares with the listener the dark clouds of the protagonist. He details it with confessional elements as he searches for a connection with the listener. The track presents the perfect balance of simplicity of style and complexity of spirit.
He leads soft orchestras to reinforce layers without loading the soundscapes with too many elements. In ‘One More Time’, we see vintage European-style neo-classicals which nicely loops into his vocal style. ‘From The Ashes’ is dreary and dim. Marked by deep baritonal resonance and dark tinged instrumentals, it is the last and most melancholic composition. From here on out, it picks up. ‘Daydreaming’ has similar texture profiles, but it is composed to ascend, to align with healing, hope, and moving on.
In ‘Like the Night’, we experience a Simon & Garfunkel moment. With the soundscapes closing in on the vocal echo, it is an acoustical enigma that grips you throughout. Concluding the EP is a two-track country music segment. ‘You and Me’ and ‘Tennessee’. Storytelling, and dripping with retro, rustic, cowboy country accents, they spread out at a nostalgia-paced rhythm. They are quite warm but drenching in sentiment and emotion. Listen Now!
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The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music!
You can listen to ‘Dark Clouds’ by Backstrom here -
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