This is the future. Forget everything you know about pop music. Forget the new millennium dark ages, when plastic-pants boy bands and jailbait teen models hid behind stale drum tracks, cliched writing, and synthesized vocal effects. Say hello to Crossing The Invisible Line by New York-based Raman Kia, a.k.a. Buddahead. The age of pop enlightenmnet is upon us, brothers and sisters, and Buddahead leads the way into a brave new world.

Crossing The Invisible Line defies my feeble attempts to pigeonhole it into any one genre. Too much praise for the pop-infectious hook that drives the opener, "When I Fall", wouldn't do justice to Kia's clever-yet-accessible lyrics (no record company hacks here). The lush instrumental soundscapes are vaguely reminiscent of Sting or Dave Matthews, but Kia never takes his music into the risky experimental depths of these two artists; we're given unique ideas to think about, but not so much that our little brains hurt. A vocal/harmonica cameo by John Popper of Blues Traveler, on "Invisible" throws a heartfelt nod to a more melodic, mid-'90s sound. That being said, Crossing The Invisible Line never reminisces about what was; this album's all about what is and what can be.

I am completely enamored with this album. From the first time I listened to it I was singing along, overcome with the clever melodies. There are moments throughout when the strings swell, an acoustic guitar kicks in a simple chord pattern, and Kia's silk-smooth tenor spins a line so devestating in its simplicity that one can do little more than sit transfixed, lost for words to express the heartstring that's being tugged.

This is the CD I'd take with me to the proverbial desert island. It's that good. Go get your own copy.

www.buddaheadmusic.com