Fernando Perdomo’s Patreon and Bandcamp pages are a treasure trove of demos, new album releases, and one-off singles. It’s a perfect example of what progressive music means.
Perdomo is the role model for artists who are constantly refining or redefining their craft. His latest release, Self, continues this forward-leaning approach.
The album, due on June 14, 2024, through Spirit of Unicorn Music, combines Perdomo’s Southern California-like song craft with an evident prog-rock pedigree to give the listener a look at his many musical faces. Expertly self-engineered and self-produced, Self is perhaps Perdomo’s most accessible album.
“Searching For Myself” conjures up the very best of Laurel Canyon. Perdomo’s vocals are tight and compelling. His use of harmony is as effective as a Byrds album. Handling all the instruments, Perdomo weaves in his warm Martin D 28 acoustic guitar textures to enhance his melodic concepts further.
Care has gone into the sequencing of Self as the album builds in interest. “Who I Really Am,” with its Todd Rundgren feel, continues exploring a central theme. Perdomo employs his collection of warm vintage synthesizers effectively with his acoustic guitar. His lyrical electric guitar solo only adds to the song’s power and fills in another piece of the puzzle, making up Fernando Perdomo’s musical self.
“Optimist Prime and “Everything Leads to Now” cover the mid-tempo ballad arena, but there is so much musicality beyond the surface that they beg for repeated listening. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Perdomo, who provides all the vocals on Self, effectively uses his singing strengths to draw the listener into the concept.
The album’s epic title-track epic brings all the elements of its previous songs together. The stacked vocals choir, warm-sounding synths, and chorus of guitars create an effective and satisfying conclusion. The song is a remarkable journey that brings the entire album full circle.
Expertly mastered and mixed by Grammy-winner Zach Ziskin, Self is another Fernando Perdomo masterpiece. Available now for preorders in CD and digital formats, the album is yet another leap forward. Hopefully, It will be offered in the vinyl format at some point, too. However, I would get it now.
