Chaz Chambers – “Calming Pressures”
Chaz Chambers – “Calming Pressures” – Single Review
What a refreshing, pure and beautiful sound coming to us from the mind of Chaz Chambers. His new single, “Calming Pressures,” features a host of musicians in collaboration all combining their talents in a summation of inventive rock, intense melody and one absolutely killer song. And if there’s ONE thing I can say for certain…it’s that whatever artist continually starts up after I listen to “Calming Pressures” on the Chaz Chambers Soundcloud page…well…let’s just say I’m much, much happier that I’ve found myself reviewing good ol’ Chaz here…
I’ve put a lot of time into listening to this one single. I’m pretty sure that after the first five or so times I listened I think I began to simply leave it rotating on repeat and began to work on writing a band biography for someone out there. And it’s not that “Calming Pressures” doesn’t deserve my full attention – it DOES, and it deserves yours too; let’s face it though, you all know I’m working all the time here at SBS, and sometimes this is how things truly get done.
Sometimes you need music that is going to motivate you through moments you just don’t think you can carry the weight any longer – this is one of those songs. I needed the new single from Chaz Chambers to come along right when I discovered it here, to allow me to continue blasting keys on my keyboard and getting the stuff I don’t want to do as much done with a smile on my face and a genuine freedom in my mind. I absolutely loved that no matter how much I could type, each and every time I finished a sentence I would instantly drift back into “Calming Pressures” and the cool waves of guitar that come crashing epically overtop of you when you listen. To write a biography at any given moment could take me twenty minutes or less I’m sure…I must have spent about an hour and a half on this one simply getting lost in Chaz’s incredible new song.
Reason being, this is a captivating song & performance from all; a true ‘moment in time’ that feels so authentically perfect that I’d nearly scoff at the idea that this could be duplicated by anyone. Excellently recorded & produced; when I learned that this single was recorded in the North Georgia Mountains it all made a ton of sense to me. I’m not sure EXACTLY of how literal that was supposed to be, but in listening I sure feel that atmosphere drifting into this track. Blending nature-sounds with guitars, the opening of “Calming Pressures” comes out beautifully with Rick Newton sliding the steel guitar notes around in gorgeous tones and combinations.
As it breaks way into adding the emotionally-vulnerable/powerful vocals of Cody Sisco, the crunch of lead guitar from Matt Spinks, precision bass from Josh Melby and innovative & inventive drumming from Chambers – just before two-minutes and twenty seconds in this song explodes into the most beautiful display of musical-fireworks. Absolutely killer idea and song-writing here in “Calming Pressures” but truly the most impressive thing about it is their collectively flawless performance and real passion on full display. As the energy comes up in the music, it really does feel both inviting and uplifting in all the best of ways…hopeful somehow…
“Calming Pressures” drifts sweetly back into the acoustic guitar, nature sounds and sweet pedal-steel as it fades out completely. Everyone makes such an effort to stuff their entire tracks so full these days…and I’ll admit to being one of those people myself. Listening to a song like “Calming Pressures” really helps you understand just how effective the use of space in recording can be to a melody, helps you realize that music exists all around us on this planet and can blend harmoniously right into your music like it has here with Chambers. You can feel the connection to the planet, to their time, to their hearts, souls and minds…these five players…if you were to ask this guy with two thumbs right here…should be seriously considering how to continue this project and collaborative effort here. I’m not familiar with the players, I don’t know if they all have successful solo careers or what-have-you; I just know what works – and this works unbelievably well all the way through to the final bird-chirps, wind & guitar sounds. There’s about nearly a full minute of ‘aftermath’ on this song…as in they make their way out of this song piece by piece and let it all come to a very natural ending; I think the instincts are spot-on here and I wouldn’t have wanted it to end any other way.
But really…I haven’t wanted it to end at all. I’m still listening; the magic, beauty and wonder that leads us all to listen to music and be completely captivated is written into the very fabric of the song-writing of “Calming Pressures” and I personally can’t get enough of it.
Find out what’s coming next from the Chaz Chambers official page here: http://www.chazchambers.com/
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