Nicholas Krgovich
On Cahuenga
Reviewed by: Lara Supan
What do you get when John Mayer makes love to a synthesizer? Nicholas Krgovich’s companion album, On Cahuenga.
Krgovich recently released an album titled On Sunset with some wonderfully orchestrated, sonically rich pieces about living in Los Angeles. His companion album On Cahuenga really blows it out of the water however, when he takes on the entire album with only synthesized pianos and solo vocals. After hearing On Sunset you would expect that a sparsely orchestrated, stylistically unplugged version of the same songs would not be able to compare- however On Cahuenga delivers in ethereal, intense spades. Each word hangs on Krgovich’s lips like an intimate conversation and the simplicity is deceiving, because the obvious intelligence behind the melodic line and chord progressions are palpable.
Reading an interview with Krgovich, he stated “I like my easy listening to be sophisticated and complicated as fuck”. This could not sum up the attitude of these albums any better. Krgovich has created a hauntingly beautiful, complicated as fuck album to go along with his first outstandingly orchestrated gem. From the first song “The Backlot”, with block chord synth sounds over a captivating story about being alone, to the last piece “Moon’s Soft Glow”, Krgovich shows the other side of LA- the lonely, complex and isolated feeling that can arise even around a bustling city.
Nicholas Krgovich has transcended the pop scene in a way few artists can these days- with real, bona fied talent. With melodic lines that would impress jazz musicians to raw lyrics everyone secretly wishes they could write, this is the night to On Sunrise‘s day.
Rating: Bad-Ass
