Post-future rock artist aCr (also known as Alvaro Che Rodriguez) has just released his first solo EP titled Ghost Note Manifest. He is already known for his work as guitarist and vocalist of progressive punk group Liquid Casing. Hailing from Houston, aCr wrote, produced and performed all the instruments on this release, except for the drumming on the opener, “The Mechanical Motion of Dying Stars” (done by Ryan Jimenez) and on “Turnstile Intervention” (by Jason Sherman).

The resulting EP is definitely worth a listen. The three set of guitar-driven songs supported by strong drumming all feature three parts. The first two songs, “The Mechanical Motion of Dying Stars” and “Turnstile Intervention”, feature a faster beginning, a middle that slows things down a little, and an ending that goes back to the original beat. The third song also has three parts: the first and last contain vocal and guitar distortions, while the middle one does not. The three parts of this song, titled “1st Assumption Vs 2nd Doubts”, are separated by bridges of sorts, the second one a tunnel of distorted sound reminiscent of the sound effects featured in the movie The Matrix when the characters are travelling through the two worlds.

“Turnstile Intervention” deserves a special mention as a strong, instrumental, mood-setting one. Filmmakers take note: It would make for a great soundtrack to a pivotal scene where the protagonist has to make an important, life-changing decision and visit a place of emotional importance to gain strength, then arise to meet his future to, of course, win against the odds.

Ghost Note Manifest is a trio of well executed songs with one particular standout that makes the entire EP worth the listen. You can listen to it right now on SoundCloud.

Picture provided by Independent Music Promotions.

First published here on Blogcritics.