Album Review: Open Sound — s/t
Fernando Perdomo is everywhere (including the virtual pages of this music magazine). Equally comfortable in (and skilled at) progressive rock and powerpop, he’s a utility man to the stars since his relocation to Los Angeles. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter. I hesitate to call Open Sound his latest project, because it’s highly likely that he’s done two or three others since this one.
But Open Sound is a collaboration between him and Justin Paul Sanders. The two handle nearly every bit of writing, singing and playing on this uptempo pop album. Not really powerpop, it’s better described as straight-ahead, vocal-forward melodic rock. The songs are generally build around a memorable chorus, and timeless elements like hand claps figure prominently in the songs.
Open Sound does a fine job of evoking the CSN vibe on “Thinking of You.” Here’s a guess: Perdomo is a keen listener who absorbs from that to which he is exposed, so his work (in the service of others) on the Echo in the Canyon project finds a more personal kind of creative expression here.
The tunes don’t swing for the fences; for the most part they’re breezy, catchy and well-executed songs that don’t aspire to be more than they are. At its core, the sound of Open Sound is one of two musicians — both clearly very good at what they do — having an enjoyable time in the studio, putting together crystalline songs that evoke pleasant memories of ‘70s hit radio.
Standout track: “She’s On Her Way,” one of the album’s four Perdomo/Sanders cowrites.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.