Photo credit: Lainey Conant
3 years in the making, Moon, Part One by Adam Ragsdale is the result of incredible determination and a clear creative vision. This cinematic project will take you through an emotional journey and leave you feeling out of this world.
Moon, Part One is the first half of Ragsdale’s 20-track album that is inspired by space films Interstellar, The First Man, and more. The sound is celestial, and the lyrics draw from personal experience as well as universal experience with love and relationships. Ragsdale does an incredible job at allowing each track on the album to shine. They each tell a unique story yet share an underlying theme and main melody that ties them all together.
An amateur ear or a trained musician could immediately spot the clear space influence in Moon, Part One. The opening track “10” consists of a beautifully, light piano arrangement and audio resembling an astronaut’s voice recording. “Dreamworks” is fast-paced and bright and feels like you’re soaring through space among the stars. “Flora’s Letter” is a somber ballad that highlights the relationship between a father and daughter and includes many metaphors that allude to space travel.
The combination of vocal and instrumental arrangements in Ragsdale’s newest album is well-balanced. He has a warm, rounded tone that doesn’t overpower the delicate instrumentals. Ragsdale credits the production of the album to his two co-producers, Jordan Spence and Stewart Hidalgo. He also credits part of his inspiration to his friend Zack Siddiqui who watched Interstellar with him and led to both of them learning from the great German film composer Hans Zimmer.
What sets Ragsdale apart from many up-and-coming artists today is his authenticity and commitment to the artistry of music. He set out to create a pop album that not only tells an important story but has an intentionally well-crafted sound. His patience paid off and resulted in a project he can be proud of. Moon, Part One has the attention to detail many great artists don’t reach until the peak of their careers.
Reviewed by Gabriela Huselton
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