Drummer and vocalist Nick DāVirgilio has been a professional musician since at least the mid-1990s. A few years back, he toured as a drummer and bandleader with Cirque Du Soleil. When he arrived for his first rehearsals, he realized that heād be hidden in a booth with only video screens to let him see the performers and the audience. And theyād never see him. He felt invisible.
DāVirgilio turned that experience into his new solo album, an album about finding oneās place in the world. Invisible is a concept album with recurrent lyrical and musical themes. The four-note motif of the song, āWhereās the Passion,ā for example, also shows up in the albumās orchestral prelude, in the intro to the first song, and again in the finale, āI Know the Way.ā This repetition suggests that this is a key idea to understanding the album as a whole.
While Invisible could be seen as merely a suggestion for people to find their own path and become the person they were meant to be, there are hints that DāVirgilioās passion has a decidedly Christian side to it. Subtle biblical references and a clear arc to the story that could divide the album into pre- and post-conversion (with āWhereās the Passionā as the dividing line) suggest that this could be a story of faith. Aside from the fascinating lyrics, the playing and singing are top-notch and the variety of styles presented in this album make it a sonic treat as well. Invisible is an album well worth spending time with. (Sweetwaterstudios.com)
About the Author
Robert J. Keeley is a professor of education emeritus at Calvin University and leads music at 14th St. Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Mich.