Artist:     Sasha K. A

Album:     Family

Label:     Self-released

Release Date:     2.21.20

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BUY PHYSICAL

Family is everything to indie-folk daydreamer Sasha K. A, shortened from his full name of Sasha Klare-Ayvazian. Or, rather, his debut LP has a little bit of everything in it. Along with employing the Invoke String Quartet for a dramatic and somber reading of “For Courtney,” the opening track here, he conjures a soothing interlude of soft, fluid synthesizers called “Before It Begins,” as well as a wintery, wistful take on “Auld Lang Syne” that couldn’t be more timely. Coming near the end of Family, its distant siren’s call and hoary “cup o’ kindness” captures perfectly the sense of sad, surreal isolation everyone is experiencing with COVID-19’s quarantine restrictions.

Outliers on an album dependent on more familiar folky elements, they reveal a refreshingly openminded approach to recording and songwriting, as deep, sincere emotions are mined from a wide range of musical tools and ideas. Exhibiting a flair for penning lovely, bittersweet melodies, Sasha K. A evokes the breathy, cinematic folk wonder of Iron & Wine with the slow, sweeping “American Made” and “My Dear,” with its spare atmosphere and accents of dobro and violin. “Rolling Sky” hitches its wagon to the ’60s folk-rock of The Byrds and the Mamas and the Papas, while “All I Wanted” jumps headlong into an onrushing, cycling wave of longing that swells to great heights. All dandelion fuzz, warmth and nostalgic yearning, the summery “Buzzing” longs for simpler times, gently catching its shirt on briars of mandolin, banjo and guitar strings, while the cascading intricacy of “Lantern by the Sea” gracefully free falls off a cliff and the tumescent “Come & Go” comes on strong with a desire for a heavier rock sounds.

Aided mostly by multi-instrumentalist Lang Freeman, Sasha K. A also enlists the talents of bassists Taylor Turner, Steven Buehler and Eric Harrison to glue together really beautiful arrangements. Andrew Oedel and Jacob Gonzalez also contribute bass work, as well as guitar, and, in Gonzalez’s case, some drumming, too. Courtney Castaneda offers rich cello dives, while Chris E. Peterson throws in some vocal backing, along with tasteful bits of mandolin, dobro, violin, dulcimer and miscellaneous percussion, as Michael Ingber adds drums and guitar. The cast has many actors, with Taylor Barum also on drums, but in this ensemble, it’s Sasha K. A who leads, with his delicate folk-pop instincts and expressive vocals. Free of dysfunction, this Family needs no therapy.

—Peter Lindblad