Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
It isn’t a concept album with linear storytelling attributes. The conceptual conceit of “Cruising a Melody” is thematic rather than narrative, centering on the underlying inspiration for Eduardo’s songwriting, yet an obvious design emerges. You can hear the opener “And So…” as Eduardo invokes his Muse, flattering and beseeching her to appear. Listeners can also interpret the lyrics as Eduardo addressing his audience. His cool yet sensitive vocals are laden with a smattering of echo that contributes atmosphere to the song’s otherwise steady development.
“For a While” is a song about writing a song. There’s vulnerability galore in the lyrics, yet never belabored. Eduardo is parrying with his art, angling to catch lightning in a bottle one more time and serve up something that pleases him and his listeners. The direct, straightforward thrust and texture of the arrangement embrace a folkie vibe despite the presence of electric guitar, but the focal point is the rock-solid drumming that anchors the performance.
He breaks with the template laid down with the first two songs. “Time Machine” has a much more turbulent arrangement centered on a churning electric guitar riff. There’s an acoustic guitar track running throughout the track, as well, that further fleshes out the sound. Transitioning between the relentless aforementioned riff and a lighter touch during the verses gives “Time Machine” dynamic shadings the first two songs lack.
You can hear why he chose “Sunrise” as the album’s first single. It’s predominantly an acoustic guitar-driven performance though Eduardo adorns it with discreet touches of piano and other instruments scattered throughout the arrangement. There are faint echoes of Cat Stevens in his vocal tone, though never pronounced. He hits on one of the album’s best melodies during “Convince Me” and returns to adding the same post-production vocal effects we heard during the album opener. It’s a gently propulsive song that moves listeners along at an appealing clip without ever rushing the performance.
The lightly hypnotic qualities of “Unknown Melody” build from its effective melody and another example of Eduardo’s great vocal phrasing. Atmospherics once again figure into his vocals and Eduardo continues to use restraint with such touches rather than overshadowing the song with needless histrionics. Cruising a Melody has an easy stride throughout the bulk of the collection and sparkles with a level of intelligence that makes it an appealing listening experience.
Loren Sperry
