Calling Cadence - Calling Cadence -- LP 33 rpm 180 gr. Made in USA - Hi-Res Records - SEALED

Calling Cadence is a rare band in our increasingly digital world: they have recorded their intriguing new album all-analog without a single computer. This "old school" approach provides a listening experience unlike anything else in modern rock today.

Calling Cadence the album's debut single, "Throw My Body," is a powerhouse of musicality, swirling late '70s rock, soul, and modern pop into an intoxicating blend of California summer bliss. Calling Cadence is made up of singer/guitarist/songwriter Oscar Bugarin and vocalist Rae Cole, with accompaniment by a wrecking crew of West Coast studio pros that represent the foundation of the Los Angeles music scene. This combination of authentic vibe and analog warmth makes Calling Cadence an instant American classic album.

This is an authentic, full-analog recording. Entire songs are performed almost entirely live to tape. Though live analog recording is a more challenging process, doing so here was a conscious decision made by the band and producers David Swartz and Matt Linesh (of the famed Hi-Res Music label) because of the incredible caliber of musicianship, as well as the studio being a full-analog facility. Recorded on 2" magnetic tape through a Studer A827 tape machine, then mixed analog through a 1972 API console through a world-class collection of outboard gear and effects, the tracks were finally mixed down to ¼" magnetic tape on an Ampex ATR 102 tape machine. The ¼" reels were then taken to acclaimed mastering engineer Kevin Gray, who cut the lacquer from the original master tape.

Not just another "stuffy audiophile reissue," Calling Cadence is a rocking, soulful trip full of evocative lyrics, earworm hooks, and a retro vibe perfect for the lovers of '70s music and modern vinyl music. For the ultimate experience of this music, pick up the vinyl. It is unlike any you have ever heard in contemporary music.

In the dead wax of the Calling Cadence LP is scribbled 'play loud!' and that's precisely what I did. Playing either the CD or LP rewarded me with some of the cleanest, most dynamic sound I've heard lately. The music didn't disappoint, either... The LP, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, is a hefty, glistening, flat-as-a-pancake disc free of any annoying artifacts... The music on this album is fun to listen to but hard to describe. The best I can do is say it's a smorgasbord of folk, rock, soul, punk, jazz and country with easy-to-digest attitude and gotcha hooks. All that, coupled with the extremely high level of musicianship, makes the end product easily absorbed... When I tire of electronica and hard bop, I will reach for this album and bask in its musical sophistication, straightforward vocals, instrumental cohesion and sonic excellence.

Oscar Bugarin wears his emotions on his denim sleeve, and his acoustic guitar work provides strong roots that allow his earthy voice and the other players to flourish above ground. Rae Cole's vocals are worth falling for over and over. I couldn't immediately place the influence I detected when I first heard her lead turn on 'California Bartender,' one of the highlights on Calling Cadence, but I eventually landed on Bonnie Raitt. The song drips with a sultry sort of luminescence that sticks in your ears after first listen... The band casts a large net and has clearly soaked up inspiration from a disparate cross-section of some all-timers while forging their own sound that could sit comfortably next to Chris Stapleton ('Took a Chance') or... Michael frigging Jackson ('This Time'). There's Memphis Soul, and A.M. Gold in them hills too. A veritable smorgasbord of sonic exploration and goodness. Whatever you want. There's something here for everyone.