US based German composer, guitarist and vocalist Florian HOFER is still a young man, but is already a seasoned musician, first and foremost as a live performer, and he’s been on the road for a number of years in various band constellations. “Reaching” is his debut as a solo artist, and was released through Graviton Music Services in 2014.
Unlike the greater majority of albums that comes my way, Hofer’s album explore a type of music that primarily resides within the mainstream spectrum of rock music. Not music of the kind I have an expertise in I’ll have to admit, but I know enough about music to recognize a good thing when I hear it and Hofer’s album is just that. A fine album through and through, and one that in a perfect world should have picked up a lot of airplay and attention by now.
The basis of everything going on here is blues based rock, touching upon what some might describe as soft rock at times perhaps, as melodies and harmonies are in focus, while the limelight shines clear and bright on Hofer’s role as a lead vocalist. The songs are of the short and sweet variety, the greater majority clocking in somewhere around the three to four minute range and just a few manage to hit the other side of the 4 minute one. The instruments are generally kept smooth and fairly unobtrusive in the mix, when harsher sounds are used they are employed sparingly and with a thought out effect in mind.
What sets this album a bit apart from other ventures of a similar kind is that Hofer appears to have something of a fascination for funk as well, and the greater majority of the songs features elegant and playful funky guitar details in particular. Slick, smooth and vibrant details, at times with a funky bass-line emphasizing this aspect of the music, breathing life and energy into material that might otherwise have become a bit too one-dimensional, and most certainly providing something of a festive, party-oriented atmosphere to the material. Hofer appears to know this kind of material intimately, as his guitar playing often is smooth and playful to the point of meriting a description as jubilant: I get the impression that he had a lot of fun recording this album.
Perhaps not quite as impressive, but nonetheless effective, are the controlled and often subtly high-pitched lead vocals. It seems apparent that Hofer have avoided using a regular blues-style powerful lead vocal style on this album, and instead have deliberately chosen a more soulful type of delivery on most tracks. In fact, many of the songs appears to feature some element or other that does add a touch of soul to the proceedings as well, although for my fairly inexperienced ears on such matter the vocals comes across as the stand out element for this aspect of the album. And while the vocals for me comes across as somewhat strained, forced and even thin and stretched at times, this also gives the vocals a frail, emotional tinge I’d wager are very much intended, and that for many listeners will come across as appealing in a very emotional manner.
The end result is a fun album, a production with an emphasis on joyful music blending blues based, mainstream rock with the playful elegance of funk and with a bit of the more emotional laden aspects of soul music. A smooth and elegant ride, and an album where the greater majority of the songs comes across as tailor made for mainstream FM radio play. In terms of associations and comparisons, I’d describe this as a subtly reigned in and controlled alternative to an artist like Lenny Kravitz, touching base with him in style but where the music isn’t quite a free flowing and untamed in spirit. Still, I suspect that the greater majority of people that enjoy Kravitz take on this type of music should also find Florian Hofer to be an artist worth checking out.
My rating: 78/100
