There’s no easy way to break into the music business, but the route that Xavier Toscano has taken has been extra challenging, to say the least. His journey through the underground has been beset with competition, but he hasn’t let the turbulence affect his stride at all. His new single, “Castles in the Sky,” elevates his sound to a higher level of mastery, directing the spotlight on the erudite timbre of his voice and the emotion in his lyrics, which in this song take inspiration from a powerfully emotional place few can tap into without sounding saccharine. I’m admittedly a fan of what Toscano has released thus far, and in this track, he goes out of his way to show us a dimension of his craft that is as pleasing to the ear as it is provocative for the intellect.
“Castles in the Sky” flirts with the tonality of balladic piano fodder, but I would hardly call it a throwback to classic pop or an attempt by Toscano to recycle the rhythms of his forerunners. There’s a muscular definition in the bass here that is indebted to modern studio efficiency, which is provided here from behind the glass. With the help of the right production hand, this crew hammered out a well-rounded composition. The refined musicality is joined by a sharp, furious lyrical prose that evokes feelings of pain and reflection being challenged by the undying energy of love and determination. Not dissimilar to the passion that is being outlined lyrically, this song refuses to back down from its ambitious framework and accomplishes what it sets out to sonically.
The vibes that come off of the swanky bassline that exuded physicality in the opening bars spill over into the additional layers of piano to make the instrumentation sound unruly and yet stable as we approach the finish line. Things never get too explosive thanks to Toscano’s consistency at the microphone, which is uniformly paced even amidst all of the rhythmic discord going on behind him. I’m planning on trying to catch Toscano when he hits the live circuit, and I think opening his set with this song would knock out the crowd instantly. It takes a minute to warm up and grips us with tension, but once it reaches its climactic chorus we become trapped in Toscano’s charismatic incantation.
“Castles in the Sky” is yet another big win for Xavier Toscano in a jam-packed year of successes for the young singer/songwriter, but I don’t think he’s reached the ceiling of his aesthetic potential yet. The uncaged grooves that sync up with our heartbeat in this song are stellar gems that sparkle even brighter when filtered through the lens of this ultra-crisp production, and what they tell us about his musical depth is very titillating. When I listen to this song I hear traces of the old school making merry with the experimentalism of a new school that is still finding its footing. One thing is for certain though; Toscano is not an artist who is in search of his identity. He’s found it, and we can study its depth in all of its grandeur in “Castles in the Sky.”
Mindy McCall
