Ramona Cordova
The Boy Who Floated Freely
CD release - 2011
For Fans Of: French Quarter | Hop Along, Queen Ansleis | Sparklehorse
Best Listened To: On a back porch on a Sunday morning when you happily wake up early, but don’t have anything to do.
It all makes sense now!
I’m not talking about how Ramona was able to write individually catchy and unique songs that somehow blend as a cohesive piece of art OR how the theme of this album is both transparent and full from start to finish. Those are still a wondrous mystery… Instead, I’m talking about how I know now why little chirps and other noises are strewn throughout the CD to tie songs together and create depth through the music!
Ramona Cordova’s The Boy Who Floated Freely is a conceptual album about a boy finding himself on a gypsy island and his intrapersonal discoveries there. However, despite the very specific undertones of the boy named Giver, each song has a certain personable side to it that allows the listener to be deeply connected with the seemingly distant message.
The songs themselves draw from mainstream Pop and Rock melodies as well as from Folk memes from a wide variety of worldly backgrounds. Most songs are simple solo acoustic tracks with the occasional technical guitar flair thrown in here and there. Though these songs aren’t Pop songs, Ramona maintains a Pop-sensibility throughout the diversely Folk record. I say diversely because of tracks like “Giver’s Reply” which shows how Ramona effectively writes a more modern rock track without sacrificing any aspect of either the Folk or Rock genre, yet still keeping the mood of the album intact. It is the mood of the album that is most appealing over any other aspect.
Musically, the album is solid for anyone who likes Wake-Up-In-The-Morning acoustic music with silky and rich falsetto melodies. However, the story itself seems to be lacking. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the beauty of a good tragedy. I also understand the value of the realistic portrayal of heartbreak, loneliness and sadness. Still, the story of the album seems to go nowhere with no intent. There is little climax and no real resolution. I do appreciate Ramona’s ability to show true sadness in such beautiful music, but I would not be able to appreciate this story outside of the music.
In the end, Ramona has successfully created a piece of musical art that is not only meaningful, but also listenable.
Ramona Cordova - "Giver's Reply"
