“Crossing the Invisible Line”, Buddahead
“Crossing the Invisible Line”, Buddahead, Sanctuary Records, 2004
Buddahead is a guy named Raman Kia, not a band. At the first listening, you might mistake this CD for a band project, however. Each of the eleven tracks has elaborate arrangements.
The first cut, the radio friendly “When I Fall”, is backed by lush strings approximating a whole orchestra. “Holding Me Back” has a rock ballad arrangement, overlaid with electric and acoustic guitars. Others, like “Chains,” “How Does It Feel?”, and “Turn Away” begin with just Kia’s voice and acoustic guitar, before electric instruments and drums come in.
Many of the songs are of the singer/songwriter type, with poignant and meaningful lyrics. It is produced like a rock CD, though. Producer Don Gilmore has also worked with Linkin Park, Eve 6, and Sugar Ray. The combination works well.
On songs like “Broken,” Kia’s vocal wails sound dramatic against electric instruments; they might have seemed overdone with just an acoustic background. His rich voice sounds even better against strings, as on “Take It All Away.” Gilmore even makes John “listen to how fast I can play” Popper’s harmonica sound tasteful on “Invisible.”
Some listeners may feel that the production overwhelms the songs, particularly when the lyrics are difficult to understand. On the other hand, the production fills out songs that are a bit slight, like “Turn Away.”
But Kia, who was raised in Iran, sings with conviction and heart throughout this CD. The production may be elaborate at times for songs written on acoustic guitar, but it always complements Kia’s feelings, never overwhelming them. Despite its title, this CD stays well within the lines of good music that has something to say.
--Dave Howell, 5/04
(This article first appeared in the FMSound music site.)
Buddahead is a guy named Raman Kia, not a band. At the first listening, you might mistake this CD for a band project, however. Each of the eleven tracks has elaborate arrangements.
The first cut, the radio friendly “When I Fall”, is backed by lush strings approximating a whole orchestra. “Holding Me Back” has a rock ballad arrangement, overlaid with electric and acoustic guitars. Others, like “Chains,” “How Does It Feel?”, and “Turn Away” begin with just Kia’s voice and acoustic guitar, before electric instruments and drums come in.
Many of the songs are of the singer/songwriter type, with poignant and meaningful lyrics. It is produced like a rock CD, though. Producer Don Gilmore has also worked with Linkin Park, Eve 6, and Sugar Ray. The combination works well.
On songs like “Broken,” Kia’s vocal wails sound dramatic against electric instruments; they might have seemed overdone with just an acoustic background. His rich voice sounds even better against strings, as on “Take It All Away.” Gilmore even makes John “listen to how fast I can play” Popper’s harmonica sound tasteful on “Invisible.”
Some listeners may feel that the production overwhelms the songs, particularly when the lyrics are difficult to understand. On the other hand, the production fills out songs that are a bit slight, like “Turn Away.”
But Kia, who was raised in Iran, sings with conviction and heart throughout this CD. The production may be elaborate at times for songs written on acoustic guitar, but it always complements Kia’s feelings, never overwhelming them. Despite its title, this CD stays well within the lines of good music that has something to say.
--Dave Howell, 5/04
(This article first appeared in the FMSound music site.)