Think Steven Wilson is the hardest-working musician in the rock/prog world? Think again. He doesn’t hold a candle to the output and work ethic of multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, champion-of-prog’s-hidden-legends, the one and only Fernando Perdomo. That’s not a slight on Wilson. No human being should reasonably be expected to be capable of the number of projects that Perdomo seems to juggle every week of the year. Yet his output seems to be accompanied by such a high level of enthusiasm and joie de vivre that we have to assume he follows the adage “if you love what you do, you’ll never work another day in your life”. Perdomo literally plays. And plays and plays. So, maybe we can call him the hardest-playing musician out there today.
Often Perdomo keeps his upcoming works-in-progress up his sleeve (or under his hat), resisting the urge to promote them months in advance. Instead, like a magician, he suddenly pulls back the curtain and – POOF! – here’s my latest creation that you had no idea I was working on which would normally take a year for someone to complete, but no, here it is all done and ready to go, even though it’s just a couple of months since my last album, and the few other unrelated singles I’ve released in the interim. That’s the essence of what Perdomo seems to be saying. (And he’ll do it again within 6 months with a different musical endeavor, just wait and see)
Such is the case with his latest epic project, unveiled a day before release. This isn’t just one album of brand-new material, nor is it even a double album. No, this is an overarching 2025 box set, where one new album will be released EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR, each containing 10 new songs. January’s edition is already out without advanced notice – naturally – leaving reviewers such as myself scrambling to get a few words out about it because, as already explained, Fernando just plays and plays while the rest of us try to keep up and grab onto his coattails.
Completely written, performed, and produced alone by Perdomo, “Waves” is instrumental guitar rock with a progressive flair. Taking its cue from his previous “Out To Sea” instrumental series (itself a run of 4 albums), Perdomo wanted to get back to a prog-focused experience. But unlike some of “Out To Sea,” he doesn’t invite any guest musicians. This is a solo affair. The only collaboration, at least on this album, is the cover artist, Joe Galdo, who interestingly has played drums for Crosby Stills and Nash, Robert Palmer, Gloria Estefan, and Foxy, but here he is supplying the gorgeous photos of surf that will adorn the 12 covers.
Musically speaking, “Waves” is rooted in the early 70s vibes of Jeff Beck, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Focus among many others, with some heroes of Perdomo’s like Peter Banks added to the mix. “In The Beginning (First Wave)” appropriately opens the album with an almost “Bolero” feel to it, though drummer Perdomo resists the urge to indulge the corresponding drum pattern. Instead, the focus remains on guitarist Perdomo to provide the regal entrance to the album – and the series – with swooping guitar lines ringing out over the ocean as the mist of crashing waves surrounds him.
“Mind Reader” is one of the most satisfying pieces on the album, the simple arrangement and chord changes setting up the emotional payoff that Perdomo’s lead guitar provides. You can almost imagine what would have happened had he brought in Steve Howe’s pedal steel to take the instrument into the stratosphere. Still, it remains very rewarding as is, an almost mystically psychic journey. Although not quite pedal steel, “Puzzle Peace” does indeed feature slide guitar to surf the smooth waves, along with more of a funk mindset. It’s a satisfying compact piece with a solid driving rhythm to contrast some of the more airy arrangements elsewhere.
Finding the right title for instrumental pieces can often result in unexpected choices. “Outer Worlds” appropriately describes the spacey, meandering lucid dream we find ourselves in, with acoustic guitars supported by warbling bass and hand percussion. This would lead us to expect “Nova” to be another interstellar journey through the cosmos but instead the true vehicular identity is revealed somewhat unceremoniously during the jam.
“The Endless Coast” provides a perfect soundtrack for images of endless coastal breaks as Perdomo’s melodic guitar lines rise and fall like crashing waves. Not surprisingly, this is exactly what the video for the song offers, overlaid with Perdomo who appears to be playing the actual recorded lead line heard on the album, adorned in his King Crimson shirt. Later on, he dips most deeply into the acid jam scene with “Transcendental Medication”, guaranteed to elicit divine flashbacks and visions of eras gone by.
Perdomo’s DIY work ethic is certainly impressive and as mentioned at the outset, the pace of his output is breathtaking. As an artist, he is dedicated to creating on an unlimited canvas that stretches beyond the horizon. “Less is more” is not an adage that he seems interested in entertaining, which means there are 110 more waves still to catch in 2025. Wax up your surfboards because surf’s up. If love is the seventh wave, I guess by December of this year we’ll find out what secrets the hundredth and twentieth wave holds.
Released By: Independent
Release Date: January 1st, 2025
Genre: Progressive Rock
Musicians:
- Fernando Perdomo / All instruments
“Waves” Track-Listing:
- In the Beginning (First Wave)
- Mind Reader
- Puzzle Peace
- Outer Worlds
- The Endless Coast
- Nova
- Beautiful Soul
- My Favorite Feeling
- Transcendental Medication
- Waves At Nightfall
Order “Waves” HERE.
Great
Fernando Perdomo is making waves in 2025. Over the course of 12 successive albums, his new “Waves” series promises to shore up 120 new instrumental songs by year’s end. If melodic guitar rock floats your boat, especially with a nod towards early 70s prog influences, pick up the inaugural Waves set now and get ready for a new edition each month. Surf’s up.
-
Songwriting
-
Musicianship
-
Originality
-
Production
Source: bravewords.com
