Establishing the mood with an intimately strummed acoustic guitar soundscape, The Essence of The Universe open Ave Maria with dreamy vocals and the situational lyrics, “Don’t know what happened but she’s still in my bed, last night I was so high, I let her inside, fighting fire with fire, liar liar, iron lion Zion is still in my mind… Ave Maria…”
We are immediately enthralled by the relatable narrative, and absolutely love the Bob Marley reference. In essence, the track is about letting someone back into your life even though they might hurt you again. It feels surreal and dreamlike, almost like being in a strange trance with notions of regret and introspection hanging over our heads.
Lead singer, Daniel di Porto Rosa, shares his voice in an ethereal and textured way, whilst guest vocalist Jo So Fine shares the hook, “Ave Maria”. It creates an otherworldly energy which is cemented by the third verse which is literally comprised of ad-libs and no lyrics, manifesting in a trippy and cerebral spiritual manner, almost like speaking in tongues. We learn that Jo So Fine‘s unique delivery came from an unusual bit of advice from band member Nic Nikita, who suggested that she sing as if she had a pool ball in her mouth.
When people ask how Daniel and Nic met, they jokingly claim it happened at an “Anti-Kid Rock Convention” in some anonymous meeting room, which certainly cements their more liberal and spiritual offering.
We could imagine Ave Maria being featured in a TV show like PLUR1BUS on Apple TV, or perhaps an episode of Nine Perfect Strangers. It would also be perfect for the playlist at Petit Ermitage in West Hollywood where trippy and psychedelic soft rock songs find their home.
Needless to say, we deeply connect with the cosmic yet cerebral notions of what The Essence of The Universe are creating and have added Ave Maria to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlist, whilst we watch the music video and stream the band’s sophomore release, Summer in the City (1990).