39. Fernando Perdomo - Zebra Crossing (2018)
Fernando Perdomo is one of the hardest working musicians in the business. He runs his own studio, produces other artists, plays on other people's albums, does music for tv and commercials, and writes, records, and releases copious amounts of his own music. In 2018 he played one of his highest profile gigs on the
Echo In the Canyon soundtrack (with Jakob Dylan, Beck, Fiona Apple, many others) and released two of his own landmark albums: the prog instrumental
Out to Sea and
Zebra Crossing, an ambitiously arranged and produced pop opus recorded at Abbey Road Studios (hence the name).
When I send Perdomo's songs in roulettes I often get negative feedback on the vocals. But what he lacks as a vocalist he makes up for as a guitarist/multi-instrumentalist and producer.
Zebra Crossing has an exquisite sound. Warm bass tones, lush strings, and melodic guitars cover up any deficiencies in Perdomo's vocal abilities. He's also a clever songwriter. The voice is kind of secondary to all of that. This album has that same 70's-like warmth of Beck's
Sea Change, and both of those guys' vocal ranges sit well in that environment.
Here the more upbeat bits of power pop on "I'm Here," "Find Love (Hold On)," and "Smile," are contrasted with the moodier and more dramatic arrangements of "Sometimes I Feel Like Nothing At All," "Somehow" and "Crown of Stars," and "Home." "We Were Raised With Headphones On," and "Sundays" are more delicate and intimate reflections on Fernando's childhood. But the two showpieces are the instrumental tracks, "Not Meant to Be" and "Zebra Crossing." The former features some of Perdomo's most soulful guitar work, and the later pulls out all the Beatles-esque stops for the occasion of recording at Abbey Road. The album closes with a fine cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" that features several guest vocalists.
I love how Perdomo really went for it production-wise on this album. The recording was crowdfunded, and when your fans are paying for you to record at a major studio like Abbey Road, you pull out all the stops. I'm really glad he got a chance to do it, because
Zebra Crossing is a definite career highlight.
Favorite tracks: I'm Here, Find Love (Hold On), Not Meant To Be, Smile, Crown of Stars, Zebra Crossing