Buddahead - Crossing The Invisible Line

Raman Kia had something to write about, and his affinity to music was his outlet as he grew up in war-torn Iraq for the first nine years of his life. Buddahead (Kia) delivers high octane lyrics that are filled out with sweeping orchestral backdrops. At times, you can feel the pain in his voice as he tries to release his anger in tracks such as “Holding Me Back.” Crossing the Invisible Line offers instrumentation on all platforms throughout the entire album. The harmonic stylings and backing vocals of John Popper add to the warm, intimate, and even reassuring flavor on “Invisible.” The only downfall on this album is that toward the end, the show winds down in a big way. The momentum gathered by the first couple of tracks gets lost among Duncan Sheik-like impersonations, laying on a level of sap that takes away from the strength of the CD. [www.buddaheadmusic.com]