Phourist and the Photons Music Review
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Phourist and the Photons are a very nice change of pace. They hail from Louisville/Elizabethtown, KY and can be categorized under several styles such as Other / Indie / Prog / Neo-Classical / Ethereal. Originally it was just Nick Phourist Hill pumping out the wow (vocals, piano, guitar, songwriting) and was joined by Justin Perez – bass and quite recently Andrew Critchelow – guitar and Scott Boice - drums, percussion. What I listened to and reviewed on their Soundcloud page was absent Scott and Andrew. Fortunately, these stand up guys who joined by divine fate are working to bring a new flavor to Nick’s original beauty!
What Phourist and the Photons are = impressive! I feel like I’m listening to classic rock and chilling soundtracks without all the distortion and overproduction but with stylized modernization. Truly, I am put through a variety of emotions.
The amalgamation of sounds and textures takes me to a different place. It’s tough to explain so I need to go into storyteller mode here. Do you know that feeling you get when you get up early, perhaps right before or during sunrise? Your mind tells you that you should still sleep but you’re wide awake. So, you get up and decide how you can embrace this different feeling. After all, you sleep past sunrise everyday so this is new to you. Whether you get some coffee, hot tea, hot chocolate or a flavored milk you decide you’ll just daydream. It’s kind of like that.
It’s also like the peaceful holiday music that you purposefully play. Something either to zone out to, get lost in or to enhance a holiday mood you’re already feeling. I don’t mean the uppity overdone songs, I’m talking more like the instrumentals and piano songs due mostly to the vocal melody and the fantastic orchestration of the songs with my favorite being the stellar piano playing skills!
I sat through a variety of songs via their Soundcloud page and really enjoyed the playlist. At times they reminded me of modern day The Doors with songs like Here’s Some Moonlight For Your Day and The Wave and the Powers That Be. I was also struck with that holiday soundtrack feeling with Floated Along the Milky Way which might be my favorite, and My Own Migration.
They also have a knack to cause you to think about life with the mesmerizing Breathe Deep Movement 2.2 and get pretty deep in their lyrics as with their Optimism in D Flat Major. There’s so much to like here that I don’t need to go song by song. Seriously, it’s that good!
On One End of the Shovel
I’m incredibly stunned by the history of emotions that Phourist and the Photons pull from me! The production value is excellent, every instrument encompasses a veteran feeling in the deliverer's craft and I really can’t find anything to not like here. It really does remind me of some of the peaceful classics of the 70’s and the holidays but so triumphantly fresh that the statement is an oxymoron.
On the other end of the shovel
I suppose those who might be turned away from this would be those looking for Pop music. However, they remind me of a touch of Coldplay and U2 so maybe I shouldn’t say that. Let me say instead that those who don’t like peace in their music may turn away? Yeah, I guess so. I really can’t think of any reason someone would not like this. Maybe…maybe if they only liked heavy metal and have a completely barbaric mind.
How deep can I dig it?
I don’t think I can make it any clearer of how visually audible this band is. I was totally mesmerized and found nothing to dislike. With a combination of classic artists from the 70’s like The Doors and Reo Speedwagon (softened) and the last decade or two of Coldplay and U2 mixed with soundtrack style music or those peaceful holiday songs that you purposefully listen to because they create a mood of wonder and joy I must recommend these guys! I dig Phourist and the Photons a full 10 feet deep!