By Laura Bardsley and Tristan Taylor
Close your eyes and imagine utopia. If there is a unicorn, a rainbow and 70 per cent chance of showers, you are probably imagining the land Brasstronauts hails from. Their composed sound consists of keys, trumpets, drums, bass and flugelhorn — yes, a flugelhorn. Their unconventional instrumentation reinforces their identity as one of the most relaxing and calming sounds around. Sticking to no one genre, the band plays anything from pop to jazz. Mt. Chimaera, Brasstronaut’s debut full-length album, continues the magic that was created on their EP Old World Lies.
The entire album moves smoothly and eloquently from song to song. Every song is memorable, from the opening “Slow Knots,” to the quicker paced “Lo Hi Hopes.” Lead vocalist and keyboardist Edo Van Breemen sings softly and passionately, conveying a message of love and longing.
The lyrics “In my head I’m somewhere else / couldn’t dream of no one else,” exemplify the Brasstronaut listening experience. They transport you to a new world, one where anything is possible, anything can happen and where everything is perpetually and perfectly in motion.