Have you ever recognized how smooth the waves hit the majestic sand? The sound creates a relaxation that pulses your soul while hugging your stomach. Goosebumps form around your ankles, as the water gently admires your fragile skin, only to say goodbye in an elusive way. The smell of the ocean gradually pushes your worries of yesterday and tomorrow away, for, in that very moment, you have reached calmness.

It’s the greatest peace that one can bask in for however long they desire. And as the light touches the night, one can always depend on the motions of the waves. They will continue to grace this planet, with the tranquility, it so desperately deserves. It can be a key. A key to begin the Voyage to self-discovery. Moonchild creates the sails in this serene EP Voyager.

The birth of a Moonchild

Amber Navran, Max Bryk, and Andris Mattson are all alumni of the University of Southern California’s Thorton School of Music, majoring in the Jazz Study Program. After touring for Navran’s (lead singer) solo project in Summer 2011, the trio began connection over similar music inspiration, thus creating the unity we know of today.

Love is a cure for heartache, and don’t be afraid of the good things

We allow our souls to linger on this phrase as it introduces the album in the first track “The Cure“. The album continues into this creamy fluid of thoughts and hope and allows the listener to fall into a dream-like state of Jazz/Rnb/ and Neo-Soul.

Neo-Soul is a style that derived from contemporary rhythm and blues. It is the alternative version of soul music, hip hop and Jazz. It’s a refreshing sound, if you are focused on the current Neo-Soul community, as from beginning to end, the sound maintains a cohesive easy drive down the coast. The Los Angeles natives have a cult niche following, which gives the band a more communal impressive quality of their music.

Vocalist, Amber Navran places the cherry on top of this delicious milkshake, which adds another depth of perfection to the instrumental content from Andris Mattson (trumpet) and Max Bryk (alto saxophone). Lyrically, the album has a similar taste of the artist Hiatus Kaiyote and background vocals of Erykah Badu. They have progressed musically since their indie debut album “Be Free“, touring internationally in Taiwan, Japan and Australia.

Music that feeds the soul

Moonchild has managed to find a way to paint a picture with the sounds of “6 am“. The paintbrush in which Navran creates with her smooth vocals paired with the colors of the instrumentation, the picture slowly births the sun awakening from its much-needed slumber. The sun opens one eye as it realizes the beauty of the earth, and gets the courage to open the other. The sun kisses the sea, and it exposes its radiant light. The morning has come and is a hopeful one!

The listener is thrown a curve ball, as the album picks up the pace in a Nintendo 63 atmosphere of “Run Away“. This empowering track embodies the courage that any individual should have when negative energy hits their life. The song has such a vibe, that one cannot nod their head to the catchy sound. As the song comes to an end, an arcade video game sequence leaves you with complete orgasmic energy. You almost want this particular sequence to be looped for a couple more bars, as they introduce familiar sounds of Princess Peach and Super Mario Bros’.

Leaving you

wanting more

is an understatement for this song.

Nothing compares to hearing the album come to life in a concert setting. I had the pleasure of experiencing their musical genius live in Oakland, CA. The energy of the crowd is so refreshing and diverse in many aspects. The vibe created in the room, as you hear the snapping of fingers, to seeing smiles from head to toe from all walks of life, truly feeds your spirit. It feels like a jam session, as you embrace the chillness of the band. The musical notes pulse in their veins as they get kidnapped by the melodic sounds and impassioned chords that their minds so effortlessly create. They recreate the atmosphere in their NPR Tiny Desk performance!

The songs can tend to blend into each other, which could create a repetitiveness and homogenous environment as the album continues. The album can get lost in terms of transitions between songs. A listener can find themselves asking: “Is this the same song?”, which gives the album a strong 8 out of 10. But nonetheless. The album is a complete “Mood”. A mood of style, breeziness, and warmth

If you an easy-going, free spirit, this album was made for you. As the sun begins to make its presence longer though out the day, and heat begins to hit the stage, Moonchild delivers an EP perfect for the sounds of summer days. Check out more from Moonchild!

Support us!

All your donations will be used to pay the magazine’s journalists and to support the ongoing costs of maintaining the site.