Alec Berlin’s transformative and transporting instrumental odyssey on ‘Life in the Bog’ is a six track escapade into a magical world of guitar driven melodies that opt to rest on mesmerizingly melodic melds that take you down paths into your own mind. It oscillates between the darkness and the light, creating moody tracks that fit to take you down moments of unbelievable highs and crippling lows. Opening with the much more moody titular track, Alec Berlin hurls you into this experimental portal with a host of unique and otherworldly elements. ‘Life in the Bog’ feels like what it implies, a hazy and rather convoluted experience through boggy terrain that treads between the dark and indecipherable to a luscious and sleepy corner.
The mood takes a more warm and optimistic turn on the second piece. What I Wish I Had Said is far more upbeat and summery, a rather glistening and happy-go-lucky melody that exudes feelings of collectiveness and enjoyment on a warm Sunday afternoon with friends. ‘Iota (Not One)’ has perhaps the best opening section on the entire record. A crashing drum staggering itself alongside an equally riveting guitar riff that bops up and down makes for an electric and eclectic sounding piece that all comes together in slow unison towards this immensely intricate tapestry of pure bliss. ‘President’s Day’ is a bit more melancholic, a bit more morose, and a tinge more darker than its predecessors. The heaviness in the guitar work is palpable. ‘Flatbush Jaywalk’ jumps from the haywire to the cool in very quick turnaround time, a seamless flow and loveable fusion.
All in all, you’re not going to find many instrumental rock artists with as much talent to showcase and much flair to bring to the table as Alec Berlin so effortlessly provides on ‘Life in the Bog’. Each song has depth and layers to uncover, the kind of dexterous intricacy you’d love to just sink yourself into as you zone yourself in.