Gaby V – Let Me In (CD)

“Let Me In” is the first track that listeners should focus in on when they want to educate themselves about Gaby V. The touching guitar work that opens up the track acts as the perfect entry into the Paul Simon-like allure of his vocals. There is a vibrant sound here that will ensure that listeners remember this track, no matter how long it has been since listeners would have put away his CD. The production value is sufficiently strong to show the entire range in which Gaby V can work; instead of cranking up all knobs to some absurd level, each constituent part of a track like “Leslie” and “Intuition” is finessed perfectly.

“Leslie” brings a tropical sound into the mix, with the vocals pulling double duty in the sense that they provide a narrative while giving the instrumental arrangement that much more harmony. The instrumental progression of “Leslie” is simply beautiful, with rich synthesizers blending well with a chunky bass and solid percussion. “Time-Out” is another impressive track in that it is sufficiently different from the rest of the tracks on “Let Me In”, allowing listeners to see a completely different side of Gaby V. The instruments play a much stronger role here than they have on other tracks, and establish a proper mood before the track hits a minute. When the vocals finally come into the equation, they add further layers to what is already a dense track, while the track itself showcases Gaby V’s love of acts like Pink Floyd.

“Intuition” has a bouncier sound present than “Intuition”, but comes forth as a fundamentally different beast than “Let Me In”. The vocals here still seem influenced slightly by Paul Simon, but I feel as if they are much more than that influence; hints of Gordon Lightfoot and Jackson Brown can be heard here. “Let Me In” is a timeless bit of rock that never feels afraid to assume bits and pieces of different genres, styles, and approaches. Fans of good music will find more than enough than they can appreciate on each of the albums’ tracks.

Top Tracks: Let Me Out, Time-Out

Rating: 8.4/10

Gaby V – Let Me In / 2009 Self / http://www.myspace.com/gabyvmusic