I have reviewed quite a bit of music from Gadi Caplan over the years. This new album is so strong. Then again, that’s true of pretty much everything he’s ever done. While I’m not completely blown away by everything on this set, there are enough tracks that stand out that it really makes it an exceptional CD. While there are varying reference points in terms of influences, the ones that show up the most for me here are David Gilmour and Al Di Meola.
This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2025 Volume 2. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2025.
Track by Track Review
Get Out The Door
The killer guitar jamming that gets underway here has a Latin angle and makes me think of Al Di Meola. As the other instruments and the vocals join this feels a bit like David Gilmour or Pink Floyd. Yet we still have the fusion guitar jamming around. There is a drop back to an almost psychedelic groove for a time. Then it soars out with more fusion meets Pink Floyd sounds. The mellow section returns later as the song continues to work through. There is a smoking hot prog rock jam later in the track that really features some scorching hot guitar work and more fusion leanings.
The Devil's Waltz
A mellower cut, this again makes me think of Gilmour to some degree. It’s built around intricate guitar and vocals.
White
There is a real playful vibe as this gets going. The bass groove on this number is so cool. The tune has a modern prog vibe to it. It also has some hints of David Gilmour. I just love the almost funky sort of rhythm on the song.
On The Way
This is a classy, growing prog number that keeps building and reinventing itself. It’s a real powerhouse. It gets into some serious jazz territory later, but the bulk of the number has more progressive rock at its core.
Infinite Love
Mellower and more atmospheric in nature, this has some pretty cool guitar exploration in the first half. It starts to intensify gradually as this instrumental track continues. I’m again reminded of Di Meola to a large degree.
Under The Sun
There is a cool modern melodic prog groove at play on this track. It has some hints of jazz built into it, too. The horns really sell the jazz later.
Evoke
Seeming to come right out of the previous piece, this has a real mellow vibe at its start. The jamming on this instrumental is really classy with some great guitar lines at play.
Passage
This short instrumental piece is classy stuff. It’s on the mellow side.
Memory
Seeming to come out of the previous track, this has a mellow rock meets fusion vibe at its heart. It’s another intriguing instrumental.
Play It Again
Intricate acoustic guitar serves as the backdrop for the vocals on this gentle and rather tentative number. It eventually builds out to more of a melodic, slow moving rock groove that again has hints of David Gilmour in the mix.
Photographs
The intricate guitar and vocal arrangement on this seems so familiar to me, but I’m drawing a blank as to what I’m hearing. As the arrangement fills out it resembles early Pink Floyd to a large degree. It drops back to that mellower thing further down the road. There is some cool building and growth as this continues driving forward from there. It really does build nicely.
