In photography, the golden hour is when the sunlight is at the perfect angle to capture beautiful images; in the medical world, it's the window of time where a life can still be saved after severe injuries. Both meanings could apply to The Golden Hour, Firewater's first album of original material in four years: it's a musical travelogue of the three years Tod A. spent in India, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia (which he also chronicled in the blog Postcards from the Edge of the World) after his divorce and the reelection of President George W. Bush in 2004, and each song is like a vibrant, sometimes violent, snapshot along the way. A.'s travels were no vacation – if anything, there's a sharper edge to his songwriting here than in years, and combined with the contributions of local musicians from each country, The Golden Hour is some of Firewater's most consistently potent music.
The fate of summer 2020 may be up in the air due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Kygo still wants the world to dance — whether it’s on a beach or at home. On his splendid third album, Golden Hour (out now), the 28-year-old Norwegian DJ soars to new heights with 18 songs that pack a punch, all while staying true to his signature tropical house sound.
The first collaboration between guitarist Cory Wong and alto saxophonist Dave Koz, 2021's ebullient and funky Golden Hour maximizes the best aspects of each performer. An established crossover jazz star, Koz has a style that brings together pop lyricism with a rhythmically infectious brand of R&B. Wong, a prolific artist in his own right, has worked on a variety of genre-bending projects, including albums with funk collective Vulfpeck and keyboardist Jon Batiste, with whom he recorded the Grammy-nominated 2020 new age album Meditations. Produced by Wong, Golden Hour finds the duo bringing all of their previous experience to bear on a set of original, primarily instrumental songs. Backed by a full rhythm section and horns, Koz and Wong's music evokes a classic, late-'70s and early-'80s soul vibe, but with a sleek, contemporary energy.
Golden Hour is guitarist Jocelyn Gould’s sophomore album. A follow up to her 2020 Juno-winning debut Elegant Traveler, Golden Hour further explores her musical character and personal development. It showcases her virtuosic guitar playing and dynamic compositions, and introduces her voice, which is featured on several tracks…