Vosotros Presents: The Years Review

Vosotros Presents: The Years is a magical amalgamation for all listeners from one spectrum to the other. Producers, Vosotros (John Gillilan and Gabe Noel) and Sam Barsh, impressively establish transcendence as the theme of this project and song by song, The Years perfectly satisfies any music lover’s fantasy of time travel.

Recorded in Los Angeles, New York, and Macau, the venture gathers only the best sounds from the past decades starting from the 60′s to the present electronica phenomenon. However, influences emerge as refreshingly original compositions. The Years immediately pulls listeners in with a flash back of an introduction which creates a sense of flocking around the living room’s old school dial-in radio.

The time-line of audiotopia begins with the soulful jam, “Lose My Number,” featuring vocals by the lovely Jesse Palter who dishes out the attitude and grit for the song’s hit-the-spot message. Other highlights include a very Al Green-esque “Let’s Stay in Love” and a groovy “When Peace and Love Come Together (It Makes You).”

An aura filled with delightful haziness begins to take form through this musical trip and elements of jazz and even hip-hop (“Heartbreaker” ft. John Robinson and Tiffany Paige) are delivered within astounding transitions. All elements subtly flow into the next, leading listeners into intoxication off of ambient melodies, bass rhythms, legato rhymes, and distinct vocals.

Yet, The Years‘ best accomplishment is their ripple-less finesse to remind one every now and then that this is, indeed, just a temporary voyage; the sounds will go forward. This is done by three or four interludes that come at listeners from the distance which absorb the senses until one is stowed away in another setting.

Vosotros and friends offer all the goods in one sweep of spellbinding treats for the ears  – and it’s all served with eminent musicianship. The soul is dirty yet tender, the jazz is magnetic, the hip-hop is slick, and the electronic bits are ironically great throwbacks. Overall, a journey through The Years is one hell of a ride.