March brings us to the third in a series of 12 albums by Fernando Perdomo. He continues to raise the bar in this all-instrumental progressive rock series, giving us 10 more expansive and inspirational songs.
The concept on Waves 3 seems complicated to fathom, as to date Perdomo has given us a level of quality and quantity unseen by most artists in a short period of time. The series has given us no filler, with a continued focus on forward-leaning playing, melodic, hook-filled compositions, and stellar production.
Instrumentally, Perdomo’s one-person band approach continues to serve the music well. His use of contemporary and vintage instruments on songs like “True Passion is Like a Storm,” “Lifeline” and “Dos Mutantes” serves the songs’ melodic powers well.
The album-opening “True Passion is Like a Storm” is a simmering collection of fretless bass, vintage synthesizers and electric guitar. Perdomo swings for the fences with his tasteful yet aggressive lead guitar work. Additionally, Perdomo’s drumming adds to the rising storm imagery. At just over five minutes, the song just leaves the shore. “The Fifth” is a swirling combination of clear and distorted electric guitars, vintage synths, and sound drums from the 1970s. It concurs with the feeling of forward motion that is part of the Waves theme.
“The Mayan (For David Crosby)” is a brilliant ode to the rock legend. The song, named after Crosby’s sailboat, which influenced many of the singer’s songs, employs many harmonic touches Crosby employed. Perdomo’s finger-picked acoustic guitar is brilliant and clear, recalling both Crosby and guitarist Mike Hedges. Perdomo, consistently an empathetic producer, utilizes multi-tracking of his acoustics to create a truly inspiring piece. Unfortunately, the sparse liner notes do not indicate the tunings used on the song or the guitars used. But that’s the price for admission just for this song.
“Anything for You” contrasts nicely with the prior song, “Safe Harbor.” Multiple acoustic and electric guitars seamlessly flow into a wave of melodic imagery, building to a satisfying conclusion. “Dos Mutantes” (meaning two mutants in Spanish) is a stirring, distorted three-minute classic that offers touches of early Yes and Genesis with an edge neither of those bands had.
Upon reaching the album-ending “Pacific Coast Highway,” it’s apparent that Fernando Perdomo has more taste in melodic forward, leaning instrumentals up his sleeves. The song has elements of the ocean and the top-down California drive. The lead electric guitar is satisfyingly dirty, and the funky bass is prominently in the mix. Perdomo’s drumming comes unhinged, adding an urgency to the tracks and a brilliant end to this very satisfying third installment of the Waves series.
- Fernando Perdomo – ‘Waves 3’ (2025) - March 13, 2025
- Deborah Holland – ‘I Made It This Far’ (2025) - March 7, 2025
- Terry Blade – ‘Chicago Kinfolk: The Juke Joint Blues’ (2025) - March 4, 2025
