Take a moment to find peace with Lazerbeak’s newest release
In his announcement for his newest album Cameron, Aaron Mader, professionally known as Lazerbeak, mentions that he wanted to “[thread the lines]” of serene, meditative energy with the “bonkers and chaotic energy” of his seven-year-old son Cameron. The whole album carries that serene sense along with the soft-spoken energy a young child might have, laced with a feeling of youthful optimism. Mader is an artist and producer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and this is the third instrumental album in a trilogy made for his three children, Luther, Penelope and Cameron.
The first song, “Summer Blockbuster,” sounds like the intro track to just that. It starts with an energetic beat and then transitions into a nostalgic track with guitar, some simple sparkling synth sounds, which feels like going to the movies with a group of best friends over the summer. Somewhere in the middle, at around the two-and-a-half-minute mark, there are light string sounds which evoke the feeling of a sweet summer sunrise. This is the quietest part of the piece; the whole piece culminates in a grand celebratory finale, including most of the instruments used in the piece.
“Layups” has this fun, youthful, shining energy to it. The guitar riff is catchy and bouncy and fun to listen to, not unlike the beat that starts after it. And there’s a splendid saxophone solo near the end of the song that Mader himself was quite excited about.
“Gentle Potential” is on the milder side, capturing the sense of serenity that Mader says he experiences sometimes thanks to his meditation and mindfulness practices. The trumpet parts give that sense of “potential,” a hopeful sense of brightness yielded by the timbre of the instruments themselves. This piece is slow-moving, a much-needed break from the fast-paced nature of life.
The fourth song, “Mighty Fortress,” is a slightly more assertive piece. It is built upon an echoing synth motif, played underneath guitar and saxophone. The pause of silence in the middle, around three minutes and 40 seconds, is a very cool way that Lazerbeak brings the listener back into the moment they are listening to the piece. The song ends with just the beaten track, bringing the listener gracefully to the end of the listening experience.
Overall, Cameron is a playful reflection of Lazerbeak’s serene side, bringing people to stop and be mindful of peaceful moments and to meditate on the brighter parts of life in a fast-moving world.
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