Summer Indie Vibes
Posted May 23, 2019
By MarkRyan_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need To Know:
Empty Isles is Zach Lardy and Zach Lardy is Empty Isles. The Nashville based songwriter brings a fresh new sound and project with For When You Need Me. This is the first full-length project for Empty Isles and it is a breath of fresh air in a time when Contemporary Christian Music seems to based on formulas and throwbacks.
What It Sounds Like:
Spring. If there was one word to describe this album it would be this current season we are in. As the trees are just now blooming in this writer's neck of the woods, the ethereal sounds and soothing vocals blend perfectly with the fragrance of mayflowers and new grass. It is as though the timing of the release of this project was purposeful in ushering spring and early summer.
Spiritual/Lyrical Highlights:
As the album is not a typical CCM or even a worship album, the spiritual content comes from one's own interpretation of the incredible lyrics written on this album. However, "In You" stands out as a song clearly directed as a prayer to our Father.
"In you, I find grace and mercy /
In you, I find dreams worth dreaming /
In you I find all that I need and more /
In you, I find beauty and color /
In you, I find love like no other /
In you, I find all that I need and more."
Best Song On The Record:
"Hope Finds Me" continues to stand out to me as the top song on the project. From the lyrics to the overall soundscape that the song creates. It has a familiar sound, yet I've never heard anything like it. Perhaps it's reminiscent of the 80s and some of the popular music that filled soundtracks of movies like Sweet Sixteen and The Breakfast Club.
For Fans Of:
Kings Kaleidoscope, Citizens, Starflyer 59
Final Word:
It isn't often that a new artist gives you a feast of 15 songs. The instrumentation, vocals, sound design and mixing allows for an immersive listening experience. For the sake of the current state of popular CCM, I hope Empty Isles continues to give us such aural feasts.
Find the album on Apple Music and Spotify. View All Music And Book Reviews By MarkRyan_NRT | View MarkRyan_NRT's Profile
|
