Regular Columnists

Artist: Band: Random Rab
Album: The Elucidation Of Sorrow
CD Review: Genre: Ambient
Sounds Like: ?
Technical Grade: 8
Production/Musicianship Grade: 8
Commercial Value: 7
Overall Talent Level: 7
Songwriting Skills: 6
Performance Skill: 6
Best Songs: The Riddle, Fold & Release, Down On The Thread
Weakness: ?
CD Review: I received this CD which didn't come with a cover letter (which I always recommend), nor did it have a bio, or even a note - those facts alone were reasons not to review it...but the title, "Elucidation Of Sorrow," and the imaginative cover intrigued me.

I put the CD on and was instantly mesmerized by the eclectic artistry that oozed smoothly from my speakers like toothpaste from a tube - and just as fresh. This project is replete with avante garde tracks that expand and redefine the boundaries of commercial music because they manage to speak to a primal aspect in us all that longs for simplicity.

The opening track, "The Riddle," has a hypnotic baseline that quickly engages and stimulates you. It may not be as "hook-oriented" as most commercial songs, but if there are exceptions to The 6 Rules Of Commercial Music Success, Random Rab has mastered them, as evidenced in "Fold & Release" (which is easily my choice for the follow-up single to "The Riddle") that never mentions the name of the song, but is equally infectious with melodic grooves, sampled horns, and a stomping baseline that will have your head swinging like a pendulum.

Though I really don't know (lyrically) what any of the songs are about, I know that there is a cavalier feeling that comes over me when I listen to them, and that can help anyone with the eradication of sorrow.

Advice: Despite the fact that these are not your "standard" commercial recordings, there is plenty of use for them in licensing. Many of these tracks would work well in The Sopranos or Six Feet Under. Contact Megatrax and Noma Music.

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