Mooncycle, "The Knight in Distress," Mp3 Review

"I've traveled down Memory Lane before. This time I wondered, did I make a wrong turn?" This is the opening line to Mooncycle's "The Knight in Distress." It's a psychologically revealing, spoken word piece recited over subtle piano chords. The words deeply reflect one man's difficult past and how it has affected him up to his present life. I found this song to be painfully honest and truly captivating.

Mooncycle is an experimental/indie duo comprised of Jonathan Baltzly and John Eric Zanetis. The words are written and narrated by Baltzly and were originally just one of his Myspace blogs. Baltzly's musical mate Zanetis composed and played the piano in this song. The combination of the lyrics and the music resulted in "The Knight in Distress."

Though Zanetis' piano certainly lays an effective foundation for this song, what drew me in captivatingly were Baltzly's words. There's no rhyming scheme, just a confession about how a difficult past develops into a difficult present. It's almost like eavesdropping on a therapy session.

Baltzly speaks of how an un-enjoyable childhood, difficult peer relationships, and an unintentional inability to fit into society have contributed to his present troubles with finding his identity. Baltzly questions, "What am I missing that everyone else has – that I was supposed to but was at denied at some point? I mean, the whole vision and dream thing. I have no idea what I want to do. I have no idea what to do, where to start if I did. It's like I'm in some sort of tunnel. Only I'm not moving, and I see life passing me by, and I can't get in it."

Baltzly later adds, "…my mind has taken such a beating from every possible direction and impossible direction. It's like World War III in there. My demons against a one-man army…I always go into battle alone. I've even fought myself. It isn't exactly a victorious battle. Yet, I survive only to experience something worse. Why?"

Obviously this isn't your typical pop song. Experimental music can be anything from recorded noise to a constant drone of an F# note. "The Knight in Distress" has more substance than that, but some of the "experimental" aspects of the recording can still be heard. It sounds as if Baltzly recites his lines in one take, leaving any stutters and pauses in the recording to capture the moment. I doubt he's overly concerned with editing or mixing this for commercial radio. Baltzly just wants to express and record his thoughts.

This song is a great work. It's an unfiltered, microscopic look into the unexpected and undesirable complications our minds can go through. It is a creative release done purely for the purpose of "the release" and not for money or fame. "The Knight in Distress," by Mooncycle, is riveting, and I feel many other people will be able to relate to what Baltzly is going through.

Artist Website: www.myspace.com/mooncyclerecordings

Review By: ListenersGeneration.com