Music on, adventures on! Floating Worlds is back again to bring us more adventures with its new album entitled “Skywatcher,” a 10-track collection packed with thrilling escapades of the protagonist, Winston Smith. This type of concept is rare—a story within an album—so, definitely, you are in for an intergalactic experience.
Floating World started back around 1998—a very long journey indeed for friends Andreas V., who’s in charge of the guitar, and Vagelis Lekos on bass. A lot of things have happened to the band through the years, with albums released, gigs, and tours they’ve participated in until eventually, in 2010, co-founder V.Lekos left, and was then replaced by Jon Soti, who became in charge of their male vocals in 2011. The band has always been creative in terms of the concepts that they are releasing, with “Battleship Oceania,” released in 2019, as the introduction of the concept to this album. Now, it’s Winston‘s turn to tell the story with the collection Skywatcher.
The album opens with the track “Strange Kid”, a track with a satisfying music structure that will stick in your head because of its catchy elements. It is a story told through the point of view of a journalist, Paul Rogers, and his deep obsession with the story of the boy, Winston Smith. Its straightforward lyrics create a clear story that highlights Rogers’ general and emotional investment in the story, making it relatable and allowing the listeners to ponder the story of this unresolved mystery.
Just like the initial track, the pieces “Nostalgic Alleys” and “Ignorance Goodbye” fit on the same wavelength. It gives off this adventure-inducing vibe through its catchy musical structures and eventually tells a story about nostalgia, longing inspiring hope for scientific discovery, and the desire to connect with the unknown. The track “Starlight Wish,” is a shift of mood because of its energetic and updated beats. While its sound might sound lively, the song carries the hope of our protagonist, Winston, who’s still looking for solace in the presence of the stars after his father’s loss. “Parade,” on the other hand, follows the story of Winston, but this time, he struggles to cope with the feeling of devastation after receiving an enlistment call to participate in war. It properly showcased the wreckage that war can do to the personal lives of people.
“Hello from Out There” is a fancy and funky upbeat track that incites a story of the thrilling discovery of an alien civilization through a mysterious radio signal. This track perfectly captures the mystery, suspense, and excitement of the narrator. “In the Dark,” on the other hand, showcases this mysterious and dark side in the concept of this album as narrated through the simple structure of the piece, which properly conveys the grappling unease that definitely holds the audience as you go listen. Moreover, tracks “Lost” and “Extraterrestrial” are also featured on this album.
Lastly, “Skywalker” closes the whole collection with its space-age funk sound that drives the listeners to follow the story of a boy who has deep connections with the cosmos. This track is irresistible with its dynamic and upbeat musical element that reflects Winston’s desire and hope to have closure on the loss of his father. It is a track that encapsulates all the stories told on this album—a great summary.
Ultimately, this album is one helluva adventure. There is no better way to describe this album than that—the stories that it tells and the way it was performed and produced contributed to the whole storytelling process and adventure of this collection. It perfectly showcases the band’s creativity in world-building as well as tackling the themes that are close to our hearts, such as hope, loss, and that strong urge to connect with the unknown. This album is uniquely classified under the category of great, specifically just floating words sounding. It is an experience that you shouldn’t want to miss. Skywalker is now available for streaming on all your favorite platforms. For now, don’t forget to follow Floating Worlds on their social media accounts and experience the greatness of their worldbuilding-induced music! Stream Skywalker by Floating Worlds now!
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About the Author
Born and raised in one of the 7000-ish islands in the Philippines, a self-proclaimed professional fangirl, with a degree in Biology. She probably annoy the people around her so much for not speaking and speaking too much. A frustrated writer, yes!
