“An expression of existential musings rooted in ecology, umwelten, and the musical traditions of 90’s alternative, indie, and alt-country, Neal Sharma & The Sagebrush have been making music together since 2015. This project builds upon decades of friendship and previous work in bands including Ghostlimb, Forming, High Water, Joyride!, Fischer, and Hey Hallways.”
This is a short introduction ot the band that was shared with us in the submission. I must admit that when I received the title track from this album and saw the cover artwork, I was initially hesitant. Still, I am glad the initial impression did not last very long, because the track Dissipate the Heat captured me pretty much. It led me to listen to the whole album.
The album has been out for some time already, but it was shared with us just now, which proves my point that it’s never too late to share your music with us. We tend to prefer fresh music, but we always listen to music released at any point in time. Even years back.
The album seamlessly blends classic alt-rock with indie rock, with hints of folk, alt-country, or even lo-fi or garage rock. You can find many influences in the song, and I am glad that we have another band taking inspiration from 90s music. This is something I can personally relate to, so the sound was a pleasing experience for my ears.
The sound was drawing inspiration from earlier music of the ’70s or ’80s; it reminded me of the rock music my father used to listen to a lot when I was growing up. He still has some LPs at home that he used to listen to while doing workouts. When I look back now, it is pretty cool, and I appreciate this even more. I have not been practising that myself, but listening to this album has brought back those memories.
I would not dig deeper into the lyrics, as you can find them on the Bandcamp page and discover the meaning for yourself. They are poetic, and I could definitely hear country or folk influences in them, but I liked how they worked so well with the music.
When listening to the songs, I wanted to hit the road, put this album on and let it be the travel, the goal and not the destination. The windows rolled down, the smell of the countryside filled the air, and the wind blew into my hair, and I felt like life could still bring wonders.
The purpose of music is to bring us closer to nature. Still, I have been feeling lately that country and folk music is evoking a lot of nature imagery in my mind. Not those sweet kitsch nature pictures, but the raw beauty of the country that is developing in front of your eyes. It has been a while since I spent an extended time being in nature and listening to music.
Either way, the band has created a masterful album full of great songs and lyrics that have been touching me on a deeper level. The album feels like a rare gem you could stumble upon on Bandcamp after hours of going through tags. This was not the case, as the band reached out to us, but I am glad they did, because this beauty would have been hidden from my hungry ears.
You may not be looking for music like this; you might prefer something more upbeat or less nostalgic. However, there is always an opportunity to challenge yourself and listen to something that will prompt you to think a little more.
For me, music like this lets me forget my surroundings, allowing my mind to wander for a little while and let the instruments and vocals take me on a journey through beautiful realms that music can create.
The album is a true gem, and I will need to revisit it multiple times to uncover all the subtle nuances it offers.
Written by Filip Zemcik
