Album Review: “Nama Time” by Gilles Snowcat

I was in the middle of my ordinary routine (online + blogging stuff with random music playing in the background) when I opened an email from a fellow blogger here that goes by the name of Gilles Snowcat requesting me to review his album. Imagine how I felt. I was absolutely delighted. How can a self-proclaimed music geek like me refuse to do the thing I admittedly enjoy? Besides, music is one of the things that define me. Without it? This world would be empty. Like when you tap it, you could hear it is hollow behind.

What specific genre of music I enjoy? This is a question I can hardly give a decent response. It’s like asking myself, pizza or chocolate? I remember when I was an elementary school kid back in the 90s (I was born in 1990), Tom Jones, The Carpenters, and Barry Manilow were just a few of my favorite voices. Not because they were big deals but because they captured my heart with their soulful music. Too young to say that, right? Believe me or not, I was like that. Even until now. I usually get drawn to the kind of music that conveys substantial lyrics, nice rhythm, and has been given soul and life by the artist/s regardless of the age, color, and label. There was one phase of my life when I was so into the enchanting bands, Firehouse, Faber Drive, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Secondhand Serenade (solo), and a lot more. My soul would be flying somewhere up above the clouds when their songs were playing into my ears. Then there came the legend, Bob Marley. And the list goes on and on up to present (like Taylor Swift, Adele, Sia, 2ne1, B1A4 and so and so). I daresay I’ve traveled to thousands of places in the world of music.

Whoopsie! Didn’t mean to keep you waiting. Let’s get the ball rolling!

A few tidbits about the album..

1. “Nama Time” is divided into 2 parts: the recent studio song “Continental Breakfast”, and the rest, that is a live session recorded in a studio.
2. “Continental Breakfast” is almost a group effort, featuring a bunch of musicians happily joining in the studio.
3. Once the album was recorded in Brussels, Gilles brought the tapes to It’s Oh! MUSIC record company in Japan and did some promo shoots.
4. Nightly, warm and in some way a little playful atmosphere inspired music that portrays Japanese nights at their finest.
5. Features musicians from various countries: Guinea (West Africa), Italy, England, Scotland, France, Japan and Ukraine.

Likes

1. The artist’s voice is unique. He has his own identity. Sounds sexy at some point and chilly. Perfectly fits in the kind of music he has which he describes as “love songs after dark”.
2. All 16 tracks are titled in a way that excites someone’s curiosity. Take “Continental Breakfast” as an example. It really got me into thinking.
3. To me, each song highlights the wonders of a particular musical instrument which is played by someone who’s undeniably talented. So this is not just a one man show. It’s like having candies of different flavors in a jar.
4. The tones of the songs are varied. Listening to them gives me mixed emotions.
5. As for the rhythm, there’s a splendid array of colors that makes me feel like an abstract artist.
6. Once I felt like a globetrotter after listening to the album. Every song made me feel like I was at a different place.
7. A few songs seemed to have double meanings. Quite intriguing.

Dislikes

None

To be honest, the first moment I clicked play, I wasn’t that interested. However, after a few times listening to the songs, I developed certain appreciation that has grown into enjoyment. Surprisingly, my husband strings along the rhythm of a few tracks. He said they’re amusing and will include his album on his Google Play Music playlist at work. As for me, I’m glad I’ve arrived at a new place somewhere in this immense universe of music. You might want to treat your ears with something distinctive. Go check out his site here.

*Note: I was given a copy of the album for free in exchange for this review. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

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