‘In Passing’ might be one of the most poignant, expressive, and emotionally resonant pieces of guitar driven music I’ve come across in recent memory. The powerful collection from Portal Nou is a journey that traverses areas of atmospheric, upbeat, and melodic territories all within its seven tracks. Perhaps there’s some greater attachment tied to the track’s titling, an observation that could be maid by the prevalence of ‘In’ at the start of each piece. But, what has you fixated isn’t some arbitrary search for meaning in these tracks, its the journey they let your mind take you to as you progress through their perfectly captured moments.
There’s never a moment on the record where it gets too heavy, or one where it feels too soft. It finds itself comfortable in a consistency of tonal expression, a rather laidback and atmospheric energy that has you feeling almost perennially placated and soothed throughout. Songs like the record’s titular track stick out for sure, with their emotional strings being just that much more powerfully evocative. But there are others like the opening two that just exude a sense of comfort and reliability as you listen through them.
In Passing is the first full-length album from the project after releasing a string of singles and EPs through 2021 and 2022. It sees the project settling on a style, on a sound, and really finding its own niche amongst a crowd. If you’re yearning to feel that sense of calmness, to find that project that’s going to have you finding yourself and drowning out the noise, look no further.