CaliCisco is the name of the new musical project of songwriter Joel Leffler. The name was inspired by his love of the Western part of the USA – a conglomeration of the names San Francisco & California.
The ‘One Last Night’ EP follows the story of a couple who had parted ways, leaving one of the parties to deal with different stages of grief.
‘Smoke Clouds’ is the first single to radio from the EP featuring a tight snappy verse structure & a four-on-the-floor disco beat chorus complete with Bee Gees style falsetto vocals. ‘Smoke Clouds’ lyrically touches on flavours of a love that can be so inundating it can literally leave you feeling high.
The EP features elements of mellow piano, funk guitar & punchy synth throughout the 5 tracks, underpinned by dance beats &catchy loops that all enhance the lyrical melody. Songwriter/Producer Joel Leffler set out to create an EP that represented both elements of his songwriting world with tracks like ‘Smoke Clouds’ & ‘Got It Good’ heavy in synth and pop guitar whilst ‘One Last Night’ tells a story through an honest lyrical delivery.
‘Feeling Like’ introduces itself in simplistic fashion with record player static, a piano loop and a close raw vocal. Before you know it the song is in full flight with Synth risers leading into a catchy vocal driven chorus. A strong beat accompanied by a vocal synth melody perfectly illustrates the new sound direction from songwriter Leffler.
‘My Heart’ begins its journey with an earthy assortment of piano, lead guitar and a mellow bass line creating the foundations for a raw honest vocal to enter. When the chorus hits, a bouncy synth bass & keys lead the charge with the return of the lead guitar melody. ‘My Heart’ follows the story of a man who leaves a trail of self-sabotage in love, where he fails to protect his heart while wearing it openly on his sleeve.
‘Got It Good’ starts with an upbeat pop arrangement, settling itself into a beat-driven verse reprieve. A repetitive lyrical hook in the chorus is accompanied by multiple synth melody lines that completes a contemporary electronic/pop sound. ‘Got It Good’ is a story about a female who lives the high life of travel, booze & disposable income.
‘One Last Night’, the title track of the EP & the stand-out storytelling song, is led by sustained grand piano chords & a close vocal that makes you feel like you are sitting in the same room as the singer. The chorus features swelling orchestral strings, harmonising back up vocals, synth keys & a strong drum beat while lyrically the song depicts a couple sharing one last night of passion together even though they both know it’s over.
Download CaliCisco – One Last Night now:
