A collaborative album from two renowned stars, Conscious Stars sees Casey Abrams & Sam Stokes join hands for a folk/rock journey that’s bound to pull at your heartstrings in one way or the other. As the crooning choir opens to an almost mystical acoustic rendition on ‘Heart of the Universe’, you feel yourself almost teleported to the raga rock sounds of the late 1960s. Recorded on a retreat, you can really feel the collaborative energy exuding across the entire album. Both Casey and Sam bounce off each other so effortlessly from a vocal perspective, first evident on the delightfully effervescent gleefulness of the opening track itself.
It’s in the vocal interplay that Conscious Stars succeeds the strongest. The way Casey and Sam just easily bounce off of each other, knowing precisely when to come in, when to exist, and when to overlap is a unique harmonisation trait that rarely comes so easily to any duo. Furthermore, as a fan of classic rock records, the entire sound on this record exudes that same feeling and trademark style that was so ubiquitous in the late 60s and early 70s. Feeling like a time capsule in itself, just delving through the power of a song like ‘Lady Lady Love Me’ or the progressive serenading ballad that is ‘Moonlight Starlight’ had me grinning helplessly throughout.
Anyone who adores music that’s driven on harmonisation will find Conscious Stars an absolute delight to go through. It’s wickedly infectious and delightfully enamouring through and through.