I am constantly in search of music that fits the moods in which I find myself. James Sera‘s Reality of the Fantasy fills a slot I’ve been searching to fill for some time: total relaxation.
Ridiculous name aside, I am enamored with every aspect of Sera’s debut. This is relatively easy, however, as there is only one aspect to his music. Reality of the Fantasy is 54 minutes of sonorous, melodic acoustic guitar instrumentals. These works are sublime; Sera isn’t out to impress with technical craft (although he does), nor is he striving to create songs that will be covered by legions in the future. He simply put out nine tunes whose melodies will cascade slowly into listeners’ consciousness.
Sera has made a concerted effort here to not make any moves that would disturb the graceful flow that connects each of these songs. The tunes play as one massive work, and I absolutely love that aspect. This is quality music that doesn’t suffer pretentiousness (other than that blech title), oversimplicity or repetitiveness. These tunes are crafted, and if they seem effortless, that’s all the more to the credit of Sera.
These tunes are beautiful, and they work wonderfully to relax to. I will keep this CD on call for when I need a chill-out. It is definitely worth your time if you like any music that includes acoustic guitar.