pArAdOx OnE, Inventing Stars

Inventing Stars, by pArAdOx OnE (also known as Phil Jackson), is one of those albums that you have playing while doing other things. Things like driving, household chores, and general life things that are typically empty without the sound of something musical in the background. It’s a good album, but it’s nothing really special.

The majority of the tracks are instrumental, minus two that have very poetic lyrics. You have a very straightforward rhythm section, a very ’80s hair-band guitar, occasional flashes of acoustic guitar, and Elton John-ish synths. The album is almost borderline boring, to be quite honest, but it’s saved somewhat by Phil Jackson’s creativity.

Other than on the last track, “The Bridge Over the Rhein,” the rhythm section is typically driving, with acoustic and electric guitars as accents, and the synths take the lead with very pleasing flourishes, on occasion. Whereas the songs don’t change much within themselves, however, Phil does play around with different keys that you wouldn’t normally hear in rock music.

In the end, Inventing Stars becomes very ambient, so if that’s your cup of tea, I do recommend picking up this album. It isn’t really my taste, but I at least try to be an impartial judge when it comes to this kind of sound. I do have to respect someone who’s willing to take the reins and create whatever it is in his heart, and if you do actually find yourself listening to this album without any distractions, that fact does shine through.