Buko Shane - Pandemic Blues
Buko Shane rolls in like clouds bursting with bitter-sweet wisdom, waiting to enrich a field full of flowers with Pandemic Blues, his latest album. The album takes inspiration from a little thing over 4 years ago that affected every living soul in many ways. The band come at us with wave after wave of relatable emotions in each number. It is a time capsule and has managed to hold its listeners with care in every song. They have seamlessly and successfully weaved together a soft epic in sonic form. Just Another Song by Buko Shane The soft guitar fills your senses like the first few rays of sunshine that trickle onto the kitchen floor on a Sunday Morning. The band makes an interesting choice of beginning with a much slower number. This is aptly captures the feelings the pandemic emulated from us all. A heavy and never-ending Sunday, But the band makes us appreciate, the slowness of the period. With everything having come to a standstill, we had nowhere else to be and nothing to do but notice the beauty around us. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean See That My Grave Is Kept Clean is a standout number; it is strikingly different compared to the other songs. It has a much more lush bed of instrumentals for the vocals to float over. There is also a heavy thumping drawl in the instrumentals, adding dimension to the number. The track is embellished with the accompaniment low synth hum. This heavy bass and baritone texture adds a sense of old wisdom to the track. It reminds us how much we ought to value and cherish every person in our lives. The next song, For Nick, stands in contrast to this number. It is much light and airy compared to the rest, and the Americana influences stand out here. Son My Sun The last number is similar to the first number; a poetic full circle. This number, however, embodies the nature of a teary-eyed goodbye, a goodbye that is filled with longing. It is as though the band ends with this sense of a flag being hoisted up high. A flag of hope and relentless effort to explore, love, and live life to the fullest. With a strong wind instrumental that comes in layered with the atmospheric synth, Son My Sun leaves us with all sorts of feeling. This eerily painful yet joyful weight that the songs carry is similar to the energy in Dead Poets Society. Some of the tracks would be a wonderful addition to the film's playlist; they oddly carry the weight of similar themes. Buko Shane performs with the wisdom of the mountains etched between every note. The album is the embodiment of fluidity; every note is woven with care. As they have encased a moment in time that can only be described as jarring, they hold us listeners with care and gentleness throughout this journey. If you do not have the words to describe the period, allow Buko Shane to do it for you by following the links attached above.