I can still remember the first song that caught my attention when I was a kid. It was “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison. Not a usual choice for a kid I think, but music has always been a big thing in my family. There was something about that song that hit me hard though. Yeah – I was a kid but I could feel things from music like anyone else could.

Here’s the thing. I love music. I come from a family of opera singers, guitar players and dancers. I didn’t stand a chance – I was bound to have a critical ear. I find I can appreciate all kinds of music but only some of it really gets to me, connects somehow.

The Brian Buckley Band is such a beautiful, musical place for me to spend time. You don’t have to listen long to realize that the men behind this music are more than just musicians. “Without Injuring Eternity” isn’t a collection of cotton-candy lyrics and a predictable melody. It’s creative and thought-provoking, rich and varied.

“Without Injuring Eternity” is the third album from The Brian Buckley band even though it’s been a while in the making. Chronologically, this new CD was created prior to the band’s last release, “Hysterical Blindness”. The album had just been completed when the band left their record label and the CD was held up as a result of contractual commitments. Recently, the recording made its way back to the band and the result is the new CD that was released on October 16th of this year.

I’ve been listening to “Without Injuring Eternity” non-stop since I downloaded it and I love it. It was produced by Mark Howard. You might not recognize his name if you’re not an industry buff but I bet you’ve heard his work. The Juno winning producer has worked with folks like Bob Dylan, the Neville Brothers, Iggy Pop, REM and Marianne Faithful. Howard has worked extensively over the years with Canadian artist and producer, Daniel Lanois. That’s a hell of a lot of damn good music that he’s been involved in.

The new release from the Brian Buckley Band is no exception to that.

The new Cd went on sale on October 16th and was “out of stock” by the evening of the 17th. Don’t worry though: Brian Buckley took to twitter to let fans know that it will be available shortly.

If you’ve been lucky enough to see the band live over the past few years you may recognize a couple of the tunes. The stand out for me was the final track “Soundtrack”. I saw Brian Buckley perform it acoustically in Vancouver last year and, I admit, I was worried I might not like the full band version but I love it. It’s a simple and beautiful sentiment and the melody just stays with me. The last moments of this song are quite eerie in an ethereal sort of way: I loved it.

“Mother’s Day” is another fantastic track. It’s soulful but uplifting and tells one of those stories I love in songs. One of the things I love about this track is that it demonstrates how comfortable Buckley can be in his natural vocal range. His falsetto is marvelous but the strength he packs into the vocals on this song is awesome. Drummer, Albert Estiamba, Jr. knocks it out of the park in this one; a heavy-hitting rhythm that reminds me of one of those songs that we’ll all be singing along to at a huge concert one day. One of those times when we can all say “I remember that band back when….” It’s the kind of song that gives me goose bumps because the tune is just meant to be wrapped around the words the way it is.

“A New Year” absolutely touched my heart. Maybe it’s a personal thing but, damn, I’ve had that year and this song just sums it up so perfectly. The dressed down sound of this song is a perfect fit with the lyrics – it’s a true song for those days when you need to believe that things will get better. Laid back, sweet, lyrical and damn it means something. It’s reminiscent of the style of the 2011 version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole.

“Without Injuring Eternity” is definitely a departure from the more rock-inclined “Hysterical Blindness”. There’s an experimental feel to the sound and I found myself admiring the band’s willingness to let go and explore. It certainly has the key things that fans have grown to love about the band: Mike McGraw’s signature guitar and Buckley’s moving vocals There’s been a lot of growth in the band and its sound since the early days and I can’t wait to see what they come up with in the future.

If you’re lucky enough to be in L.A. next month The Brian Buckley Band will be playing at the Viper Room on November 16th to celebrate the release of their CD. This show will be the first show for the band’s new bass player, Krishnan Swaminathan. Tickets are available in advance here.

“Without Injuring Eternity” is available for purchase on iTunes or on the band’s official website: www.brianbuckleyband.com.