A while ago, Cristina Orbé has decided that she needed a change. First she moved from New York to Seattle, then she has set three goals for herself: “to live alone; to stop watching TV and to teach herself how to play guitar.”
Once she got a swing of things, her musical career was launched. She wrote her first song within three months and she started performing within six. Her latest orbé orbé project has resulted in a formation of her debut LP Invisible Kingdoms.
Orbé has explained that, "The title Invisible Kingdoms refers to the unseen worlds we traverse in our relationships. The gut feeling, the pull of spirit, the gardens or wastelands we build between ourselves and the people we love. These places influence the trajectories of our lives whether we pay attention to them or not."
A nine-track album opens with…
Let Me In
A track that features a careful, sneaking, deep beat that slowly leads us into the album. We get a taste of heaven by the end of the track, featuring dreamy instrumentals and Orbé’s angelic vocals.
Instead
Is an upbeat track consisted of energetic drums and guitars and accompanied by seraphic, yet powerful vocals and a celestial choir.
Circus Star
Opens with a musical box sound, then transitions into that quite familiar circus melody accompanied by muted, hazy vocals. “I’m done waiting,” Orbé exclaims with determination.
Escape
Features rapid drums, blazing guitars and addictive clapping beat that create a sense of urgency, while the lyrics, “and you don’t know when you gonna have to leave/but you better be ready…” reveal a need to leave everything behind, if not even some escapist tendencies.
Lady Bug
Consists of dreamy and celestial instrumentals that at moments mimic the wilderness. You can hear the birds chirping, accompanied by heavenly harps and Orbé’s sugarcoated vocals.
Wait
Features robotic instrumentals and computerized vocals juxtaposed with singer’s tender voice.
Parasol
Instrumentally resembles “Let Me In” and “Circus Star” only this time accompanied by million angelic voices and Orbé’s breathy, celestial vocals.
Orangutan
Opens with a beautiful guitar intro and beat that picks up the song’s tempo. The instrumentals imitate the wilderness once again, just like in “Lady Bug.”
Winner
Is instrumentally quite lighthearted, but its weight lies in the lyrics. “You taught I’d be a winner/ and make you proud/escape this town/but life is one long winter/ and I’m a clown/with a jester’s crown….” The track wraps up the album with a sense of wistfulness.
Overall, Invisible Kingdoms is everything a “celestial pop” album should be. It is heavenly, magical, celestial and dreamy, but yet so raw, honest, melancholic and very self-reflective. It is an absolutely cathartic experience.
Listen to "Winner" here!
Image: Bandcamp