Shibuya (City Lights Vol. 2)

Shibuya is the new project from the creative minds of NICOLAY and PHONTE COLEMAN, better known as THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE, whose sophomore album, the independent R&B/Soul smash Leave It All Behind (TFE/Hard Boiled; Oct. 2008), continues to gain momentum as the duo and their extended family of singers and musicians currently tour the United States and Canada with their critically acclaimed live show. The countless performances together have added a new level of sophistication to the musical output of Nicolay and Phonte, resulting in what they themselves consider to be one of their most ambitious projects yet.

The idea for Shibuya, which is the second installment in Nicolay's City Lights series of albums, was first conceived after his first visit to Tokyo, Japan. Once back home, he wrote and recorded with a new-found sense of freedom, laying the groundwork for the albums Time:Line and Leave It All Behind as well a third album, a deeply personal homage to the Tokyo district of Shibuya that illustrates both the grandeur of Japan's age-old heritage ("Meiji Shrine, "Rain In Ueno Park", "The Inner Garden") as well as the hectic city life of one of the world's busiest metropolitan areas ("Crossing", "Satellite", "Bullet Train") through two suites of richly multi-layered instrumental pieces.

Where City Lights Volume 1 was primarily instrumental, on Shibuya, the instrumental pieces are book-ended by several vocal songs written by Phonte, who keeps showing remarkable growth as a songwriter and vocal arranger, for up and coming fellow North Carolina vocalist CARLITTA DURAND, who previously collaborated with Phonte on LITTLE BROTHER's Getback album (ABB 2007) and many other projects. Also appearing is "FE" liveband-mate ZO!, who adds his virtuoso keyboard solos to two songs.