Fernando Perdomo’s Patreon page is a treasure trove of demos, new album releases, and one-off singles. It’s a perfect example of what progressive music means. Perdomo is the role model of an artist who is constantly refining or redefining his craft. His latest release, “Self,” continues Perdomo’s forward-leaning approach. The album, which comes out on June 14, 2024, on Spirit Of Unicorn Music, combines Perdomo’s Southern California-like song craft with Perdomo’s evident prog-rock pedigree to give the listener a look at the many musical faces of Perdomo.

Expertly self-engineered and self-produced, “Self” is perhaps the guitarist’s most accessible album. 

“Searching For Myself” conjures up the very best of Laurel Canyon. Perdomo’s vocals are tight and compelling. His use of harmony is as effective as a Byrd’s album. 

Perdomo, handling all the instruments, weaves in his warm Martin D 28 acoustic guitar textures to enhance his melodic concepts further. 

Care has gone into the sequencing of “Self” as the album builds in interest. “Who I Really Am,” with its Todd Rundgren feel, continues exploring the album’s central theme. Perdomo employs his collection of warm vintage synthesizers effectively with his acoustic guitar. Perdomo’s lyrical electric guitar solo only adds to the song’s power and fills in another piece of the puzzle, making up Fernando Perdomo’s musical self. While “Optimist Prime and “Everything Leads To Now” cover the mid-tempo ballad arena, there is so much musicality beyond the surface that they beg for repeated listening. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Perdomo, who provides all the vocals on the album, effectively uses his vocal strengths to draw the listener into the concept.

The album title track epic, “Self,” brings all these elements of the previous songs together. The stacked vocals choir, warm-sounding synths, and chorus of guitars bring the album to an effective and satisfying conclusion. The song is a remarkable journey that brings the entire album full circle.

Expertly mastered and mixed by Grammy winner Zach Ziskin, “Self” is another Perdomo masterpiece. 

Available now for preorders in CD and digital formats, the album is yet another leap forward for Fernando Perdomo. Hopefully, It will be offered in the vinyl format at some point, too. However, I would get it now.