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Imaginary Future is really the vehicle for Jesse Epstein, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter.  Sunlight, the newest album, is his 4th and it’s a concept piece.   For the first time in his musical odyssey, Epstein decided to write an entire album’s worth of music as a love letter to his new wife (his high school sweetheart and frequent musical collaborator, Kina Grannis), since it was a symbol of joy and he’d never written “happy” music before.

On first listen, it reminds me a lot of a band I reviewed here last year, Wakey Wakey – it has that film/TV soundtrack kind of sound and feel – big and near-anthemic.  The lead-off track, “Forever By Your Side” definitely sounds like something you’d hear at the climax of a prime time series like “Grey’s Anatomy”; “Take It As It Comes” is upbeat; electronic fills and a nice background melody carries it and “You Bring Me Home” is another “stomper” which has a very ’80’s feel.  “Better Together” is the album’s standout – a taut track with a catchy chorus; “Real Love” is an acoustic bouncer and “It’s Getting Better” has a sweet, Americana feel.

Pleasant, warm and certainly filled with good vibes.  A fine evening’s worth of music.

RECOMMENDED

Sunlight is available now

http://www.imaginaryfuture.com/

 

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About the Author

Rob Ross

Rob Ross has been, for good, bad or indifferent, involved in the music industry for over 30 years - first as guitarist/singer/songwriter with The Punch Line, then as freelance journalist, producer and manager to working for independent and major record labels. He resides in Staten Island, New York with his wife and cats; he works out a lot, reads voraciously, loves Big Star and his orange Gretsch. Doesn't that make him neat?

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