Ashton Nyte - Some Kind Of Satellite

Ashton Nyte is a singer, songwriter, and the frontman of the gothic rock band The Awakening, and it wasn't up until a few days ago that I first heard about this guy. As such, Nyte's career really shot off back in 1997 when he put out his own interpretation of Simon and Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence. Since topping the charts with that release, he's put out eight albums with The Awakening, and six albums under his own name. He has stated that his addiction to writing and recording songs is the cause of this, but no one really seems to mind as he's doing a damn fine job at it.

But, passing through all his achievements to both save time and to stop me from sounding as if I worship Nyte as a God, let me get into his more recent offering. Due in just under a month on March 3rd, Nyte's Some Kind Of Satellite will be released. And, from what I've read, it's promising an emotional album with melancholy touches throughout, able to enact a sort of sentimental response from the listener. And, well, as a first time listener to Nyte, I'm here to see what holds true and what doesn't.

The cover of the album is simple enough; a shirtless Nyte with eyeliner on faces down and off into the distance as if he's contemplating some great question, with a filter like that of an old TV screen on top, and the album title superimposed right over. If I do say so myself, Nyte looks awfully attractive on this cover; so, maybe, just maybe he should release a poster side by side with this album to further fuel the fantasies of his fans.

In either case and off the subject of album art, the music does indeed sound quite passionate. This guy's music is soothing and blissful; don't go listening to this album expecting a track to get your fists raised high in the air. This is lovely music that you can just mellow out to and enjoy. Hell, I could picture myself writing a heated diary entry while listening to this man's voice sing to me as a catalyst for each word I jot down on the page. But, that shan't happen, as I don't have a diary and I'd rather say things out loud and proud than keep it locked in a small little book.

A mix of gothrock and new wave sounds come together in this album, and though other genres have been said to be touched upon, I cannot say I saw any real or major influences from said genres. Needless to say, aside from that point, the entire album actually sounds very, very good. The production values are top notch, there's not a note that made irked me, and there wasn't a time throughout it that I wanted to just stop listening to it. If I had to pick any truly stand out songs within this album of songs that already stand out, I would have to publicly recommend the very slow moving and harmonious A Halo In The Dirt; Dressing Like You,the first song on the album, as it did drag me into the album automatically, and the dreamy sounds that emerge from Another Life.

In any case, if listening to Nyte's voice doesn't absolutely make him appear on your man-crush list, then I highly suggest you unclog your ears and once more attempt to listen to his golden voice bellow with charm. Of course, the instrumentation also pushes this album forward, as well, but his voice really steals the show above all else. I can see why he's been given critical praise from various other outlets in the world and why he's been so hyped in his home country, but, as far as this album goes, it has more than upheld all that I read about it. Nyte has secured both my ears for aural pleasure, and respect for him as an artist. Feb 09 2015