Cory Wong – Elevator Music For An Elevated Mood (2020)

Cory Wong is seen as a reputable Funk musician, complete with his own new (at the time of writing) Fender signature Stratocaster guitar. Although Funk music is not the most popular or recognised genre of music out there, nonetheless it is an interesting musical place and therefore, Cory Wong’s music needs to be explored, so let’s do so.

We begin with Golden which begins with some retro organ, before launching into a Pop culture referenced piece that is interesting, to say the least. There are some great lead guitar lines, horns, and a sound that is really classy. This is something to drink fine wine and dance along to here. The falsetto vocals here by Cody Fry are really great too, looking back in time as well as looking forward. There is a neat saxophone and trumpet section in the middle here, and eventually a loud and punchy guitar solo does follow, and it really sounds terrific. Completely different to anything else musically, Cory Wong succeeds very well. Excellent music and a very great start to this album.

Next up is Airplane Mode which begins with some expert played funky Fender Stratocaster tones. It also has a driving backbeat to it. Although this is an instrumental, it is very decent and awesomely constructed and delivered. A great piece of music here, this is exciting and interesting listening from start to finish. The rhythm playing on guitar and the instrumental set up here is nothing but magical. Cory Wong succeeds, and very well here, too. An excellent piece of music, and a very gentle but inspired listen.

Restoration has a counted intro with some tranquil sounding horns and guitar playing here. A really excellent effort by maestro Cory Wong, this is a really fresh sounding and inspired piece of wonderful instrumental music. It just sounds so different, yet wonderfully awesome here. A nice sounding piece of musical craftsmanship, actions definitely speak louder than words here. The saxophone here is wonderful sounding, and this music comes across as a romantic sounding piece, without lyrics and singing though. In the second half, some very nice and gentle sounding guitar solos here will blow your mind away. A really excellent piece of music, very genuinely good and smooth here, a must hear. Very much superb, and a great and loveable piece of sonic artistic. Good on you Cory Wong, you put many contemporary artists to shame. It ends with a surprisingly humourous studio shouting here, which is interesting.

Treehouse begins with some great drum fills, before launching into a piece with a guest appearance by Phoebe Katis, and has some lyrical singing about living the good life. This is an interesting twist musically, and Cory Wong succeeds well here. This is a great song with some incredible musicality about it, and everything here is very near perfect here. A really cool piece of music also about passionate love and that sounds really cool and awesome. A totally excellent and pure sounding piece of music, this is nothing short of amazing here. Great music to listen to, this is very, very good. The old school call-and-response section towards the end is brilliant, with harmonies, whistling and other grand instrumentation. A glorious listen, not a bad track here so far. It finishes very nicely indeed.

Next along is Meditation which sounds blissful from the start. It is a smooth and gentle instrumental, quite possibly designed for the ancient/modern tradition of meditation itself. Cory Wong plays some excellent guitar here, and the backing instrumentation here is as equally as good. A slow drumbeat keeps this one going along very well, and keyboards and subtle horn sections seep in gradually. Clever, intellectual and essential listening, this is really amazing to hear. Some great piano then enters in the second half, which is grand and classy sounding. This music is nothing short of amazing, and perhaps proof that guitar based music is not dead, and it is still alive and kicking. Great work by all, and a relaxing and inspired piece of music. It has a very good lone guitar outro, which is very refreshing. It ends in a very Led Zeppelin sounding way, nice.

Following is Team Sports which is loud, energetic and great sounding from the start, with electronic drums, funky guitar and a great catchy sensibility. A really great piece of music, once again, Cory Wong is no doubt a great musical legend who deserves praise here for his wonderful instrumental music at hand. There are some layered piano parts here, and every single note, melody and rhythm are perfectly delivered here. Towards the middle, we have a chaotic drum section that will blow your mind away completely. Some wah-wah rhythm guitar follows, which is very exciting. A really inspired listening experience, the future is here with Cory Wong. Very intellectual, fresh and clever, this demands to be listened to. The piano parts return towards the end, with some drum machine beats in the background. How cool. A very good piece of excellently played music.

Julia comes next, and sounds very quirky. Once again, Cory Wong makes some extremely good music. There is an organ here to spice things up, before going into another decent and brilliant funky jam session that is quite unforgettable, and demanding repeat listens. The organ throughout this piece is very prominent, and just sounds wonderful and brilliant. Cory Wong proves himself as a great guitar player here, too, neither being boring nor overly flamboyant, he just plays exactly what is needed here. The horns towards the end are pretty cool, and this piece of music is just as good as what came before it. Every single section is cleverly thought out and wonderfully played, with the song ending abruptly.

Watercolors begins with a slow and catchy drum section which is really excellently played, before launching into another great piece of music, this one a bit slower (in a good way) and relaxing. Artistry is here, not a sell out record for the masses. On this basis, Cory Wong succeeds perfectly. The horns, keyboards, drum beats and guitar playing are truly fantastic here, and this music is very unforgettable. Cory Wong may as well be the new Jimi Hendrix for the 21st century here, being a masterful musician. A nice saxophone solo does wonders here, and the whole thing sounds really amazing. Another really fantastic listening experience to enjoy, this one is somewhat like Dream Pop in a way. A really great and amazing tune, there is a nice call-and-response section towards the end here between the guitar and saxophone playing. Enough to put a smile onto one’s face, it finishes up with the gorgeous saxophone here. Unforgettable.

Next along is Takeoff which is an upbeat, quirky and great song featuring Rachel Mazer. It’s a good song and a very nice piece which is positive, full of energy and excellent for listening very much any time. A very lovely and sweet sounding piece of clever music, this is totally underrated and classy listening for a song of its type. Really interesting, flavoursome and cool. Even with guest stars, Cory Wong does really well here. The funky guitar playing here, meshing with a Pop sensibility lifts this piece up. Great stuff, and an equally great listen. A refreshing guitar solo is here to finish this piece off, excellent.

Some studio chatter begins on Winslow and the piece gets going immediately. It is just as good as what came before it, with a slight Disco feel to it. Assertive horns, quacky funky guitar and a great performance by every single musician is here. Really awesome, uplifting and excellent, Cory Wong does deliver very well here. Great stuff to listen to, and very adventurous and artistic, this music is nothing short of amazing. A weird sounding keyboard solo of sorts is in the middle here, and the tune is superb. The second half of the song here is very laidback with a different guitar solo here, it just sounds wacky and interesting. It finishes very gently and nicely here, with guitar hammer ons.

BBC News is the final song here. Some female harmonies are here, along with chugging piano. Very great listening, it quickly goes into a straightforward Funk tune that definitely deserves to be heard. This piece could ironically be played as a BBC News theme of sorts. Really excellent, with an original and fantastic melodic sound about it, this is a really great way to finish such a top album. Let’s hope Cory Wong continues to deliver great music here, he is a real genius of instrumental music. This piece finishes with violins and piano, very nice.

Cory Wong is a totally underrated and overlooked musician in many ways. This album, merely one of them in his back catalogue, is absolutely brilliant, even if you do not listen to Funk based music. Artistic, original and monumental, Cory Wong has a bright future ahead of him. Listen to this album today.

Very outstanding.

9/10