CD Review: Tokunbo, Golden Days

It is rare these days, in the music world, that you come across music that fills your soul with joy from the first moment you hear their music, as unfortunately it seems a lot of today’s music has lost touch with the spirit of the sounds and the places inside that it can take you.

I can honestly say after listening to Tokunbo’s Golden Days, that is not the case with this brilliant work of artistry! How refreshing it was to sit back and get lost in this deliciously warm folksy, acoustic taste of real, heartfelt music.

As I was listening to each track through my headphones, I took in each lyric, each melody, and the way each song was delivered so brilliantly. Tokunbo has such an angelic, warm voice with a hint of power but not overly so, which was a welcomed treat for me. The instrumentation combined with the silky vocals allows the pure gift of her voice to shine through.

A few of the tracks stood out to me, such as the sassy and lyrically warm “Hey Island”, the inspirational, motivating, uplifting, and positive musical message in “See You Fly” and the cool vibe of  “Ray”. I heard something each time and loved the intro of “Home Again.” This felt familiar to me, like going back to a time in my younger years of life. The vocals are sweet and the arrangements made me think of family, places I had been and those that are missed and that I wished were “Home Again.” Another track that caught my spirit, is “Near & Far.” I loved the acoustic guitar on this one, so beautifully done and the arrangement is so simple, the brilliance of it really came through. It allows you to really tune in and listen to the lyrics and melody. You can hear every musical heartbeat.

Photo by Anne De Wolff

The collaboration on this album is so wonderfully orchestrated. It does not overpower you; it takes you on a breezy walk through a sun-kissed day and leaves you wanting to more, well after you have finished listening. There are not many albums or EPs nowadays that move me in the way Golden Days has and it makes me believe even more, in the power that music has.

I love the vocal arrangements on this album and the use of old-school instruments, banjo, ukuleles, pedal steel, acoustic and electric guitars, a really a nice blend. I also like the fact that this album, cleverly intertwines different genres, not afraid to do something out of the norm. It is breathing and sexy. I found that within the lyrics, the titles are not repeated too much, the story lies within the lyrics centered around the title of the tune which I think is brilliant. Not too many artists tell stories anymore with their music.

From the title track, “Golden Days” to the last, “Miles Away”, this album will take you on a welcomed musical journey and I for one am so glad I went on this one. Golden Days is a breath of fresh air and I urge everyone that still cares about how music can really move the soul, then you must add this to your collection. “Golden Days” is a perfect fit for today’s time. It takes me back to a time that was simple and free. What a wonder this album is.

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Last modified: March 30, 2022