LULLABIES IN A CAR CRASH

As soon as I heard this solo album from Airbag's Bjorn Riis, I fell in love. It arrived randomly in my mailbox one day, and I put off hearing it for at least a couple weeks. That, my friends, was a mistake. It is my opinion that "Lullabies in a Car Crash" is one of the best of 2014.

Sure, I like Airbag's Pink Floyd sound and all, but Bjorn's new album combines emotional guitars with ominous bass movements and post-rock-esque structures. Production is high quality and lacking the "sound wall" effect, which would have been an easy way to give this album more power. However, the mix is full of class and is definitely quieter, which put the responsibility for oomph in the artists' hands. Taking hold of that, Bjorn has created an album that feels heavy and dark, but is rather light and serene overall. It is heavy in lyrics and in structure, but the instruments and myriad effects used are all about skill rather than distortion.

Feelings I get from "Lullabies in a Car Crash": sadness, elation; darkness, light; movement; stillness. This album will leave you in shambles, but somehow uplifted, too. Music, to me, is mostly about emotional impact, and Bjorn embraces this with a peaceful vigor. In some ways, it does remind me of Lunatic Soul with the emotional, dark movements, which explains my attraction to it. However, there is more guitar and more Pink Floyd influence, and that creates a whole new sound. I must mention, however, that any Floyd influence is modernized heavily and is mainly found in Bjorn's amazing guitar work, which screams Gilmour's emotion to me.

I love finding amazing albums at the end of the year. Bjorn's solo album is pretty incredible, and is honestly better than Airbag's latest. It has edge, but submerged in colors and water. It has movement, but subtle and weightless. It has emotional weight, full of tears and hope. If you haven't heard "Lullabies in a Car Crash", you really need to soon.

4.5 stars