Color In The Gray Machine, the latest record from Boston solo musician Spencer Sabo, also known as Mind The Journey, is an interesting kaleidoscope of color and sound, sounding similar to acts such as Youth Lagoon and more recent Ra Ra Riot tracks. Spending his childhood learning the drums, making amateur films with his brother, and exploring any creative venture he could, Gray Machine feels like the next step in the creative process for Spencer as he has put together an eclectic release that combines electronic, psychedelic rock, and alternative rock to create something that fans of the above groups will love.
Kicking off the record, we have an intro titled “Falling Asleep”, which doesn’t give us much to work with when determining Sabo’s overall style, and while we can’t figure out why he decided to include it, Spencer does redeem himself by introducing us to his music with “Desserts”, a relaxed psychedelic tune that incorporates different sounds, leading the track to almost sound like something that would come out of a cheesy horror film, with echoic vocals that display Spencer’s ear for singing.
“Dream Demon” is an alternative song that dives into Spencer’s dark side, while still keeping things modern sounding for those into alternative rock. And while it’s creatively interesting, the song’s overall vibe doesn’t go over well, and its feel isn’t as pleasing as Sabo probably wanted it to be. “Boats” comes on the heels of “Demon”, and is a quiet acoustic track, opening with birds chirping and a simple drum beat, which is something that sounds different than any other tracks we’ve heard so far, making “Boats” our favorite cut on the record, as well as being the tune that people will enjoy the most, making it perfect single material.
Closing Color In The Gray Machine is “Delta Wave” an 80’s inspired track that tends to drag, mostly due to Spencer’s muffled vocals, giving off the sense that he needed a filler song to take up space. While Sabo certainly has the talent to become a successful musician among a certain type of music fan, he may have trouble convincing those who are looking for something more mainstream that he has come up with something innovative and fresh, leaving the fans who gravitate towards his music with a desire to build a passionate fan base that loves his distinct approach to music.
Take a listen to the track “Rose Colored Glasses” here.
