Written by: Jen Dan

The brooding indie pop-rocker Bryan Deister has roots as a classically-trained (as well as jazz, blues, prog-rock, and modern rock) musician and he applies the structural and contemplative aspects of his background to a looser, experimental rock-oriented sound that can be found on many a track of bands like Radiohead and Muse.

Deister gently fuses the vocal delicacy and poignancy of Jeff Buckley with the urgency of Matt Bellamy and the angoisse of Thom Yorke. While not quite reaching the caliber of these bands and artists, Deister does shine brightly on the moodily fragile, yet fast-paced “Into the Sky”, just one of 23 songs off his ambitious and accomplished double album Spines of the Heart that was released this past December.

Belying the sunny climes where he resides in Redondo Beach, CA, Deister emotes in a lightly downcast tone on “Into the Sky”, overlapping his phrases and modulating his vocal register, creating a slow-building, chiming choir effect. A speedily pattering samba tempo and reflective piano and keyboard notes are juxtaposed with his searching vocals. The resulting mix is both emotionally exultant and crestfallen as Deister gracefully murmurs about “living in a dream” and leaving “it all behind”…

For further information, visit Bryan Deister’s official site: