There are seemingly infinite layers of meaning to be found in No-No Boy’s third album, Empire Electric. You can listen closely to singer-songwriter Julian Saporiti’s lyrics, which juxtapose true stories of struggle from throughout Asia and its diaspora with Saporiti’s own reckoning with intergenerational trauma. You could also let the majesty of Saporiti’s songcraft wash over you, his captivating melodies cloaking those themes in a veneer of hope and ecstasy. But the deepest storytelling happens at the sonic level, as sounds drawn from across the Eastern hemisphere mingle freely with distinctly American instrumentation — banjo and koto, lap-steel and guzheng — while electronically manipulated field recordings of rushing water, chirping birds and other natural sounds ground us in the now.
1Onion Kings of Ontario03:21
Music: JULIAN SAPORITILyrics: JULIAN SAPORITIISRC: USSF1-22-25501
2Nashville04:35
Music: JULIAN SAPORITILyrics: JULIAN SAPORITIISRC: USSF1-22-25502
3Mekong Baby03:41
Music: JULIAN SAPORITILyrics: JULIAN SAPORITIISRC: USSF1-22-25503
4Western Empress03:31
Music: JULIAN SAPORITILyrics: JULIAN SAPORITIISRC: USSF1-22-25504
5Jakarta04:09
Music: JULIAN SAPORITILyrics: JULIAN SAPORITIISRC: USSF1-22-25505
6Nothing Left But You04:02
Music: JULIAN SAPORITILyrics: JULIAN SAPORITIISRC: USSF1-22-25506
7Little Monk03:29
Music: JULIAN SAPORITILyrics: JULIAN SAPORITIISRC: USSF1-22-25507
8Sayonara03:21
Music: JULIAN SAPORITILyrics: JULIAN SAPORITIISRC: USSF1-22-25508
9Minidoka03:39
Music: JULIAN SAPORITILyrics: JULIAN SAPORITIISRC: USSF1-22-25509
10160305:31
Music: JULIAN SAPORITILyrics: JULIAN SAPORITIISRC: USSF1-22-25510
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