Jesse Rakusin is the mastermind behind Awaken!, the experimental one-man band. Now In Technicolor Lights has a psychedelic, folky, gospel feel to it and even with the lack of hooks, the listener won’t be able to keep their head still while listening.
Inaudible vocals start off the album but the instrumentals make up for the hard to understand singing. Taking the place of the inaudible vocal style is a track with a spoken word feel, classy jazz guitars and bongos behind it. A pretty straightforward song with repetition galore comes in the form of “Love Day,” which can be interpreted to have a message that every day is a day to love. Some spiritual aspects are brought into the mix with “Transcendent Mind,” a piece that is slow and something that the listener could easily sway to. “A Word From Our Sponsor” adds a bit of comedy to the release, as it is a public service announcement in the middle of the album.
The second portion of the Now In Technicolor Lights starts off with a bluesy vibe in a tune that easily became my favorite off of the disc with Rakusin’s haunting vocals and jailhouse blues playing.
The emotion of the release turns dark with “Enterlights.” During the instrumental “Banjo Fuzz,” the feel is picked back up a bit more, leading into the trippy “Row Your Boat.” “Morphic Resonance” and “Reflector” keep the psychedelic motion flowing into another instrumental.
In A Word: Spiritual
