Roomtone
Lay Awake (2002)

review by: Michael Walls
Date: 12/13/02

I've been avoiding this review for months now. Several times I've tried putting my thoughts into some sort of written coherent form, but always seemed to fail to adequately express the emotions and imagery that gets conjured up when listening to this CD by Roomtone.

Feelings of ardent but restless serenity mixes with profound jealousy of frontman Nico Chiotellis's Jeff Buckley-like voice. A voice that stretches from satin to coarse to angelic, with the ability to tug at the listener's emotional triggers.

Layered with mesmerizing rhythm and ambient guitars, Roomtone provides just enough grooves to keep this CD out of the background music genre, but doesn't rely on instrumental hooks to sell it's product. It's draw is it's powerful yet subtle production of layered music – all created to compliment Nico's vocals.

In some places, Nico's vocal style is reminiscent of Peter Gabriel, as is some of the music. Some of the instrumentation reminds me of Radiohead, even Pink Floyd. Sometimes I think I've heard this before, other times I think it is one of a kind. And now, I've listened to this magnificent CD so many times, I can no longer distinguish between what I think is familiar and what is new.

The one thing I am sure about – Nico Chiotellis is a good musician, a talented songwriter, and a gifted singer. And in my opinion, a true artist. It has been a long while since an album has been able to mesmerize me like this one. It's affect reminds me of the first time I heard Animals or Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. I get chills thinking about what might happen to music if the world discovers Roomtone.