Editorial Reviews
Music Review:
Music Review
Love Me Tender: A Tribute to Elvis [Import]
L Homicide Volontaire [Import]
Live Between Us [Live] [Import]
In Hearing of [Import] [Original recording remastered]
Heavenly Spheres (L'Harmonie des Spheres)
About the Artist
It still doesn’t seem like a reality" exclaims Billy Mrak, the principle songwriter in the newest band to emerge from the Michigan rock scene. They’re named Aloft. "This whole process has been, well, just like a dream" and a dream is the best way to describe the sound of Aloft. Taking note of the many influences from the last twenty odd years, Aloft have found a way to meld these into a sound all their own. "I would think we are a retro-pop band " chimes Todd Brasseur, the band’s drummer and music collaborator. "We are unique in sound and yet have that pop hook sensibility, especially in songs like "Blind" and "S.O.S" the latter almost having a 60’s vibe to it" notes Brasseur. Aloft was formed in the spring of 2002. Almost by accident the two partners were discussing the music of today with its slick editing and almost disposable and very forgetful melodies. During this conversation Billy Mrak and Todd Brasseur kept going back to the topic of saying how much! they missed the sounds of bands like "Pink Floyd", "The Moody Blues", "Wings", and "The Doors"; all the great stuff you know. Billy Mrak adds" All night we kept saying, These guys are so great and yet wouldn’t be signed in today’s market, why is that." "If I’m interested I’m sure others would be and hey , lets make an EP." Like a phoenix born from the ashes Aloft was about to fly. Several weeks of writing in which during that time Mrak was anticipating the birth of his first child. Mrak began to tackle a complex set of emotions. "You see, (Mrak) while during this whole writing period I saw the gradual decline of health in an immediate family member due to Alzheimer’s. In one hand I had a life cycle beginning and in the other, the decay and fall. There is no doubt that "Closer To Nowhere" is about that cycle" adds Mrak. And then there were ten. Ten songs, ten lives created and acted from the past. "Closer To Nowhere" is a dream and reality. Based from real life, as a! listener you can feel the sense of loss, triumph, and uncertainties of life. Mrak and Brasseur have loosened the cork on the subtleties of a delicate melody and recreate a sound in their music that not only pays tribute to the classic rock scene, but is complex and rich in texture that could solely be their own. This is a thinking person’s music, filled with themes and questions and genuine emotions.
Album Description
"Closer To Nowhere" is a collection of songs from the Michigan based duo Aloft. From the opening guitar sounds of "Dizzy", the listener will soon understand that a musical journey has begun. Steeped with sounds and imagery of days that have past, Aloft has created an album that pays tribute to the styles of the records that you used to play. "Closer To Nowhere" is an album that permeates into the collective thought while exploring themes of spiritual quests, life experience and human emotion. The tracks "S.O.S." and "Blind" are the standout pop tracks that resemble the early FM radio single sound, while as you dive deeper in, songs like "Cactus Cross" and "Tilt" have a powerful sound and passion that evokes images from within. The unique thing about this album is the ability to apply it to one's life. Not so much is this band ready to conquer the world as they are intent on the listener viewing into their own.