Performed on a New York summer evening at the Gramercy Theater, Niina Soleil and the Heartstrings take a wandering individual through the dry west coast deserts of California. Narrated and sung by artist Niina, led by guitarist and producer Jacob Something, and accompanied by musicians who strum, wail, and strike the notes of California dreaming. The sophomore album of Niina Soleil, CALIFORNIALAND, makes a striking and distinct sound; echoing the 1970s era of the now well-established, westernmost part of the earth. Grooved and free in its thematic elements, the album is performed completely live by dreamers alike. The classic warm and hazy sounds of an Ovation, along with the analog keyboard and the theatrical Hollywood trumpet, all play in reverb throughout the record.
The standout song “Life & Times of a Wannabe Rockstar” serves as the opening theme of the project, describing the familiar destructive and longed-for life of an American rockstar, which ultimately closes with a melancholic but beautiful symphony. With flares of country twang and harmonizing preach vocals, Niina and her Heartstrings bring the culture of a Californian-born world straight to audiences in San Diego, West Hollywood, San Francisco, Chicago, and even the defining East, New York City. The solidarity between the Heartstrings, their instruments, and admirers is undeniable. They play a completely defining record of the past while also acknowledging the present American life: defiance, the sublime, and dreaming instead of sleeping.
- Victoria Zima
Photos Courtesy of Rachel Ombok (For Bell Music Magazine)
