Most readers of this review have a collection of albums they enjoy, including those favorites that are hard to explain to others. Then there are albums you introduce to friends because, you reason, they will enjoy the material. Steps above the rest are the albums that exceed your expectations in such an overwhelming fashion that, without hesitation, you introduce it to anybody with the ability to listen. Gavin Castleton’s latest CD titled Home fits in the category of the last kind, the best kind. With incredible accuracy his website claims, "Home is an epic project designed to console all who have encountered love and lived to tell about it."Gavin Castleton still requires an introduction to people not tapped into the Providence music scene at any point during the last 15 years. Any preamble about Gavin's career will skew thoughts about his sound. From his various solo works to his former group Gruvis Malt, his music has always progressed and rarely remained the same. The idea of placing Gavin into a category or genre simply cannot happen. Castleton recently relocated to Portland, Oregon and Home chronicles this 6-year story into an evocative 53 minute piece. Thus, the listener is left with few questions unanswered about where he has been.
The story is told through the eyes of the two lovers, played by Gavin and Lauren Coleman, surrounded by rhetorical zombies that leave their relationship in peril. The hyperbolic zombies are only outdone by the ladybugs that sing Gavin back from the edge. It's a lot to digest, I know. Explaining the entire story here would cheat the listener of the experience. Luckily, every disc contains the “cliffnotes” known as the lyric sheets. Personally, I am still analyzing the zombie metaphor Gavin uses to describe their relationship, a true element of great art.
Gavin does well to make each song on Home attractive to listeners of all levels, even if you don't care for the narrative. A concept album at heart, Gavin has used a thematic storytelling approach on many of his solo albums. He claims, "(It)…wasn't really a conscious effort, I guess I just like stuff in bigger chunks... I feel like every section of every song should give you a reason to want to keep listening. And every song should give you a reason to listen to the next song. Call it a bi-product of American self-importance: we need an incentive to give someone else our attention." The first single "Coffeelocks" is a prime example of this sentiment. Simple in its structure but deep in layers. The rhythm makes everyone move and the astute ear enjoys the artistic touches Gavin has applied to its outer core. Lauren Coleman's angelic voice first appears here and remains unmistakable and distinct as it soars over the top of each chorus.
Castleton demands the listener’s attention to the music in order to bring understanding with many ideas present. The album shifts stylistic gears several times, not by virtuosic front, as accompaniment to the lyrical dialogue. The bliss of new found passion found in the pop single "Coffeelocks". The strategy of conviction in "Warpaint" which provides the profound lyric, "And if you build your love on a black and white chessboard; there is a very good chance you'll always be at war". The climaxing tempo of "Sugar on the Sheets" alludes to the anticipation of a lover’s touch. All that embodies the sticky funk of love can be found in the synth driven "Stampete". The cinematic closing "Credits" is just that. Providing the punch line that "Home is not the place you dwell, Home is where you see yourself".
More info on Gavin Castleton can be found @ http://www.gavincastleton.com/
