Ian C. Bouras – Two Sides to Every Sunset

Ian C. Bouras – Two Sides to Every Sunset

URL: https://www.sdmprecords.com/sdmphome.html

Music is moving. Sometimes it can bring one to tears and other times it can cause one to think more deeply. It can bring about feelings of rage or despondency and it can strip layers off your armor, casting you closer to the matters of the heart. And then there are times when music is so sonically and physically powerful that it is tectonic in its movement. East coast guitarist Ian C. Bouras has a sound that is somewhat polarizing but also amazing. Whether this guy is a loop guitar perfectionist or whether this was truly a labor of new age guitar that needed some time to perfect, the end product proves its worth in just how well structured it is. This is a heartfelt musical project that isn’t going to be taken down easily and in fact is probably just getting started – very much like the power of love itself or perusing a dream.

Ian was nominated by Billboard Magazine to be among the top songwriters in 2004 and 2005 for his work with AñaVañA. Since receiving his audio engineering degree, Ian has produced, mixed, and played guitar and bass on records in all genres from rock to spoken word, and is now working as a freelance audio engineer.

“The Light That Swims In the Darkness” serves up a rather low profiles heavy hearted intro piece that moves forward with grace and feel. It’s an awesome kickoff song without the pieces flying off. I get an image of seeing this cat play in a dingy smoke filled Red Light district Jazz bar in say New York and just letting it rip. I’ve played in these kinds of bars before – you know a club with some fine touches but hints of unfinished cement floors, spray paint tags covering the walls, home brew cider and beer being sold for a buck a cup, and a single bare light bulb illuminating the whole affair. Ian C. Bouras has a homebrew musical sound that’s comparable to all of the above but make no mistake this is a high end production. I use the imagery because I’ve been to house parties like this and the live music in those dingy basements carried the same kind of energetic free as a bird vibe as this music does. Those illegal live music house parties were defining for me because everything was so free, real, and with a hint of independence. This is the feeling I get when listening to tracks like “This Lonely Life (A Farewell to Love).”

I’d go on about melodies but I honestly can’t describe a word of the notes that vicariously falls from the guitar fret-board of Bouras. All notes could be strung together run on melodic sentences or they could be random bursts of conscious guitar spew. Personally, I feel that the importance is more the note he elects not to play. The final result a brilliant aural landscape. The rhyme and reason is in the textured textbook style of this masterfully crafted music, and much like a soundtrack without words, the music itself sets a stage, tone, and feeling. But the serenity is soon blown away by powerful chaos-factor of this very unique style of music that reaches mountain heights and swoops down into the darkest caverns, churning and chugging along, lumbering, picking up to dizzying speed and dashing the listener against all manner of surfaces. This album hearkens to mind images of love, living life to the fullest, being true to one self musically and the good and bad of life within the vastness of time and space. Bouras is a brilliant advent to Instrumental guitar music – period! “Two Sides to Every Sunset” by Ian Bouras does just what the title says – opens the mind. The CD captures this carefree attitude perfectly. It’s in this environment a fan or listen can appreciate really good music that “keeps it real”

Michael Holt