Fifty-four minutes and one second of music.
At first listen, the ear is not immediately drawn to the drums on Beatbox Soul. Although the art of vocal percussion is at the center of this studio album, it might be a riff or a hook or most likely the vocal harmony that catches your attention on this inaugural tour through the musical mind of Jim Castaneda.
The album begins with a soft fade-in on Jim’s backing vocal tracks. Right away, you hear the unique quality of this independently recorded project. The vocals give way to the punchy beats and solid groove of the opening track. Song 2 settles the listener into a reflective state of mind with its trot-pop shuffle and Americana vocal set. Lyrically, this song contrasts the first while gently reminding one of the importances of living in the moment. Song 3 takes a leap of faith with an in-studio drum effect born out of an audio session, looking for the right kind of eq and delay for the song’s drum line. The ‘808’ modeled groove sparked a new energy in the recorded arrangement of this song and added an entirely new and welcome dimension to the album as a whole. Song 4 settles on the core style of Jim’s favorite type of solo arrangement with the rhythm guitar loop, a funky beatbox, some vocal harmony riffs and a steady groove. ‘Beatbox Soul’, as an old-school type album, takes its heritage seriously with the inclusion of song 5. This song is an instrumental; mostly improvised and played over a repeating structure. Song 5 sets the listener up for song 6 with its A Cappella intro, vocal-bass choir and waltz rhythms. Song 7 takes the listener back into the groove with a few tasty licks and some inspirational sentiments. Song 8 steps up the tempo once again and pays homage to that open heart relationship from someone who loves someone ever so much that they would do anything to be near. The penultimate song on ‘Beatbox Soul’ stands at the edge of disco with a funky attitude and works as a fine easement to the final song. Song 10 puts a point on the album with a wide-open groove and a deeply personal lyric, woven through an inspired arrangement. ‘Beatbox Soul’ leaves the listener satisfied from a feast of vocal percussion, unique production and a fresh set of original songs.
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