Laraaji has made music for decades and whatever he touches is going to be special. The newest release, Moon Piano, out now via All Saints Records, is full of beautiful material that soothes and enriches the soul. There's no other way to state the power that this musician brings to his output.
Recorded by Jeff Zeigler (Kurt Vile, The War On Drugs, Mary Lattimore), Moon Piano finds Laraaji taking a fairly direct approach, such that the shorter pieces collected on this record all strike a similarly lovely vibe. "Prana Light" and "Stillness" are minimalist and pretty in a quiet way, while "Quiet Journey" marries a fairly straightforward, down-tempo melodic line with searching chords and notes around it. It's an affecting piece, as is the spry "Bathed in a Glow" with its yearning progression. Laraaji doesn't waste a note in any of these selections and even a slightly more experimental number like "Pentatonic Smile" juggles a jazz-like sense of exploration with Laraaji's customary sense of the personally divine.
Moon Piano is out now via All Saints Records.
More details on Laraaji via the official Facebook page.
[Photo: Laraaji Bandcamp]