Open Sesame Records, 2007
Having already assessed that the band/collective HuDost (pronounced “who dosed”) would not damage my kundalini, I knew the best time to give this band’s new album a listen to would be when I was sick of mundane, superficial realities and seeking a peaceful moment. Vocalist Mosksha Sommer’s singing is good medicine; she heads the band with co-writer and guitarist JemalWade Hines, and together they’ve united a variety of musicians within the intention of HuDost.
HuDost, from Lebanon, New York, has a folk quality yet is quite post-modern; the band offers new takes on ancient words and melodies, cross-cultural hybrid transcendental chill-out music with an edge. (The album will even be agreeable to those whose spiritual music is punk.) Immediately upon hearing the opening vocals of “This Is Me,” I had a broader perspective of existence, my energy was planted, and I was almost free of what really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. This is not fluffy new-age music—it’s serious, complex fare with no aversion to addressing agony. Sommer’s vocal execution is precisely orchestrated, her voice-opening, hollow-toned vortexes piercing through the tough spots. “BaBoom,” “Wake Up,” and “Scorpion’s Nest” stand out as universal mantras. This album is a journey of music and spirit. www.hudost.com.
