Žiūrėti į saulę
An all-time favorite. Žiūrėti į saulę achieves everything a modern record should. Somehow simultaneously strikingly different and perfectly cohesive, each track is a breath of fresh air. Kamaniu Silelis gracefully reflect the intricacies, subtlties, and difficulties of this complex world we inhabit in this youthful and visionary work. The listener finds a bit of themself in each song, yet leaves with a renewed sense of self and outlook on life. Their earlier records, equally as beautiful, lacked the diversity that is on display in Žiūrėti į saulę. In Lithuanian, Spanish, and French; with acoustic guitar and techno elements and xylophone; from South American indigenous chants to Eastern European folk songs, Žiūrėti į saulę guarentees something that you will find yourself looking for again. A track breakdown:
Aš lauksiu tavęs: A perfect track. Even more than a song about a lover, it is a song about discovering one's self.
Tavo akys: A track for a contemporary dance piece. For a modern house. For a float through outer space. Other-wordly.
Banga: Bliss. In audio form. I have never heard a song that resembles so closely what if feels to be utterly joyful. Almost like it captures what childhood feels like.
Aš bijau: A wonderful use of layered instrumentals and vocals. Deeply unique.
Oaxaca: As energizing as it is bewildering. You don't realize you've never heard a song like this until you listen. Original on every level.
Vasara: The most grounding and transformative interlude I've come across.
Axis mundi: With ~85k streams on Spotify, the record's least popular track. I can't possibly understand why. With a mind-blowing production and a mesmerizing bridge, this track is unlike any I've heard.
Eiti: In a bit of irony with the title ("to go"), this is the most perfectly unrushed song I've heard. It seems every string is strung and every word is sung with a lasting effect, soaking up every second and filling the slow song with a heart-wrenching ease. What it feels like to not run from pain. What it feels like to embrace hurt.
ŠOKU VIENAS: For lack of a better term, one of the coolest songs ever.
Ž i ū r ė t i.į.s a u l ę: An effortless linguistic blend, this is everything a closing track should be.
