Sandman Project // Hearts Forever
Sandman Project's second album, Hearts Forever, finds guitarist and bandleader Tal Sandman taking full control of the writing, arrangements, and production while rebuilding her ensemble after relocating from Jaffa to Leipzig. The transition gives the group's psychedelic blend of Middle Eastern melody, Afrobeat, jazz, and desert rock a particularly focused sense of direction. Opener “Katara” sets the terms with classical oud and a hypnotic rhythmic figure, its unhurried melody gradually opening into ensemble interplay. On “Questions Answers,” Sandman's pointed guitar phrases bounce against punchy brass, propelled by Afrobeat-inflected drumming, layered vocals, and keyboards before the arrangement careens into surf-punk. “So Said The Stone” works a leaner funk pulse, while “Abandawe” winds Moroccan guimbri-inspired guitar figures around Ethiopian melodic ideas and tightly arranged horns. These pieces share a restless momentum, with much of their appeal arising from the space between instrumental statements. The title track moves toward a gentler, more soulful register, its direct melodic warmth offering an emotional anchor amid the constantly shifting rhythms. “Kishuf” brings a hazier atmosphere, with Sandman's reverb- and delay-treated flute drifting through languid funk. Closing “Feelings Of Hope” gathers the musicians' voices into a communal chorus before Sandman's searching guitar solo carries the final statement. Throughout, the band's intricate arrangements maintain a conversational quality, allowing individual voices to emerge from the larger groove. Hearts Forever is a confident step forward, shaped as much by the players' sensitivity to one another as by Sandman's increasingly assured compositional vision.
