March 16, 2022 - Self-released
Sometimes restaurants that have no reviews are the best restaurants for a restaurant experience. Even better would be a restaurant with no reviews and no menu, leaving nothing but a vague name or maybe a confusing image for the tastebuds to set expectations against. Such experiences are the last bastion of the unexpected in a world full of stars and reservations and menu descriptions and disappointment. Josh Solomon is here with such an experience. The Indian-American Bay-Area artist has opened a concept eatery titled Off The Island and invited us to dine, VIP style. The title and accompanying artwork leave much to the imagination. Which island? Why off? Do we want to get back on the island? What’s the weather like? Should I bring a light jacket? Maybe my new anorak? What are you drinking? Can I get one too?
Enough questions. Let’s eat.
The project opens with birds and wind and sunshine. Dark clouds blow in from the west, quickly shifting the ambiance. Solomon provides moody vocals, layering his voice with pitch bent ghosts of himself. It’s not my favorite treatment, but the effect doesn’t overstay its welcome. As opening courses, ‘Flashing’ and subsequent ‘Someone in Love’ feel disjointed, even with the limited information going in. Solomon loosely sings over a slightly more energetic beat on ‘Someone in Love,’ with the same pitch bending acting as an obscuring layer on top of already-hard-to-make-out lyrics. Apart from moody, the flavor of the project is hard to pin down. ‘hy alchol’ feels brighter in contrast but still has a heavy undercurrent of storm clouds despite the groovy shaker-led percussion. The moment approaches where we begin to question our decision, question the establishment we find ourselves in. The flavors so far have been heavy and a little salty, a thick and brooding soup. But a new scent wafts in from the kitchen.
‘Dull (Vero’s track)’ immediately feels like a departure from the opening. The clouds part with help from a tangy ocean wind. Lush cords stretch out over a Nana Rogues-flavored bassline. Vocalizations weave in and out between shimmering chimes and a breezy plucked riff. The pitch bending is here but is being used in a completely different context; it lifts and brightens. ‘Dull (Vero’s track)’ is the moment when you know you’ve found the haunt. The next secret spot. From here, Solomon grows in confidence, or conviction. ‘ode to ayya’ steps back into the moody, but the vocals are front in center, largely unaltered and unobscured. Synth swells build tension that lingers after each release, creating a thick fog of emotion. ‘CMFD’ swaps back to the bouncy tropical-inspired side of things, with a laid-back but still dancefloor-ready beat and playful melodic line. ‘Out In’ and ‘super hot’ feature some trap leanings, with hard-edged synth chords grating against sharp vocal cuts.
At this point in the dining experience, I’d say Solomon swaps back to the light tropical, but it’s been such a conglomeration of tastes and flavors and preparations, the metaphor begins to break apart. ‘bloodstains/Maria/Jules track’ starts off light and airy, with a hint of tang, with large swaths of crisp silence. The tone shifts in the second half, with the track ending on a cinematic synth piece that swells with all the energy of a secret sunset tryst. A surprise third half sneaks in at the end, with (presumably) Solomon singing sweet sentiments raw into a cellular device. ‘Right Man’ flows on from here, cherry picking elements from the previous tracks to create a lofty tropical vibe. Solomon continues to highlight an interest in moments of near silence, using the space to give attention to unexpected but interesting synth design or a change in percussion. ‘everywhere’ ignores the silence, opting instead for a wall of glittering chimes against chopped orchestral swells and a hammering drum groove. The vocals contrast the largeness of the instrumentation, keeping things subdued in the loose talk-sing realm he seems most comfortable in.
The amaro hour hits, just in time for the titular ‘off the island.’ As with many an after-dinner drink, this digestif could easily be an apéritif, even the opener. Soft but sure chords chime out over an expansive beachfront of light percussion and Solomon’s voice. The bassline is punchy and bright, but the track overall isn’t too sweet, instead leaning in on its more complex and herbal notes. The next piece though, ‘Sea u Gurl (SL),’ goes full on sugar-coated sunshine. Honey-dripped ukulele strums out into infinity with a dusty drum kit pulling up the rear. Solomon’s voice mixes into the water, enveloping the soundstage and easing the ebb and flow of the instruments. Somewhere an old church organ plays its last chord before being turned off for the last time. The sub-one minute ‘PS Blues’ acts as the last call and lights-off, a brief but intimate moment in time with friends and music and laughter.
I enjoy blind taste-testing. The lack of context and preconceived notion allows for a space that can feel both fleeting and more real. Moments can be played out to their full potential and then looked back on, something that can usually only be done once. Solomon’s Off The Island is deceptively brief, with sections that don’t always line up in the moment, but that come together to create an overall fresh and exciting experience. I appreciate the chance to try this first outing free of expectation, and am even more excited to try the next project he comes up with. 🍍