Los Angeles artist Peter Lord, co-founder of the influential collective The Family Stand, expands his creative legacy with Songs From the 8th Dimension — a new album that sharply blends soul, funk, and rock. The release shows an artist deeply attuned to both groove and grace. Its stylistic reach is striking, spanning from the electrifying pulse of “BOOM” to the tender, folk-laced serenity of “And the Sun Is a Dying Star” — cumulatively resulting in a richly expressive, memorable work.
A vibrant and melodic kick-starter to the album, “BOOM” is wholly exemplary of Lord’s ability to seamlessly maneuver from introspective intrigue into a more soaring, effervescent allure. The latter is present in the track’s “it all went boom” central hook, which pairs his sweltering, soulful lead with a backing choir, exuding a celebratory quality. Dionne Gipson’s guest vocal emergence bolsters the magnetic soundscape further, arriving into an especially memorable mid-point with rumbling bass and a “here I go again, to the darkness in my mind” vocal re-entry; the track’s aspirations to “hold onto the light” is wholly stirring.
The album’s other four tracks succeed just as well. “GO” ventures enjoyably from understated piano-laden beginnings into a feverish pop display, beckoning “baby, please go” with charismatic allure. Heavy bass and rhythms move forth, ushering in a passionate textural pull amidst Lord’s evolving vocals. Sweeping strings enamor within, as does the grimy, expressive bridge past the two-minute turn. “ROLLING THUNDER” arrives next, dazzling with its powerful piano-forward balladry, while “DANCING INTO THE ABYSS” succeeds in the definitive rock realm, and finale “AND THE SUN IS A DYING STAR” compels with its gliding folk acoustics and heart-filled vocal duet. Full of memorable melodic turns and stylish savvy, Songs from the 8th Dimension is a strongly recommended album from Peter Lord.
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“GO” is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Emerging Indie Funk and Soul.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
