Performer Magazine : The Musician's Resource

Fleeting Trance
17

Oakland, CA
Produced by Manasseh Bernal and The Transient Society Of Dreamers and
Believers | Engineered by Alex James Muscat and Dave Tweedie | Recorded by
Alex James Muscat at West Lake Studio in Daly City, CA and Students On Meth
at Expressions Center For New Media in Emeryville, CA | Mastered by Phil Void
at West Lake Studio in Daly City, CA

The organic sound of strings, reeds and melodious harmonics lie deep within the heart of soulful Americana. Playing true to form, Oakland's Fleeting Trance adds a set of 17 fresh tracks to this timeless genre with the release of 17. Utilizing often off-kilter vocals with just the right amount of rasp, frontman Manasseh injects rootsy angst over pristine instrumentation, where guitars jangle and keys shimmer at their highs.

What is perhaps most remarkable about 17 is the fact that it never gets tiresome. Fleeting Trance succeeds in crafting an album with absolutely no filler, where more is definitely better. A particularly outstanding number is "She's Got Music." It's a lighthearted, horndriven stroll of a song, with optimistic lyrics and melodies uplifting enough to inspire any listener to find cheer – even for a second: "She's got music in her soul / When it touch me, make me lose control / Life makes no sense at all, but with some help I'm gonna watch love grow."

"Four Leaf Clover" is a poignant track that erupts with a ticking momentum of steady intervals. This is appropriate, as the lyrics are drenched with the concept of movement: "We've got rhythm, we've got rhyme / We've got nothing left but time." Vocals burst with warm and jagged qualities reminiscent of Counting Crows.

The band displays its quiet side on "Crayon," an ambient track painting a big and spacious scene despite it only containing two unique verses. It summarizes the qualities that make the band so effective: the creation of something large and meaningful with everyday situations presented with uncomplicated sounds and lyrics. It's the culmination of many simple yet effective parts that makes Fleeting Trance's 17 such a universal experience. (Last Stop Records)
-Keane Li

myspace.com/fleetingtrance