“Elemental” new music

For as long as he can remember, Ryan Montbleau has been a seeker. From the jungles of Peru to the volcanoes of Hawaii, from the beaches of Costa Rica to the streets of Brooklyn, from the backseat of a 16-passenger van to backstage at Carnegie Hall, the acclaimed singer/songwriter has spent much of his life crisscrossing the globe on a perpetual search for meaning, purpose, and understanding. It’s a quest that’s guided him both personally and professionally over the years, one that’s come to define not only his music, but his very sense of self. And yet, listening to Ryan’s ambitious multi-part album, “Wood, Fire, Water, and Air,” there is a profound sense of satisfaction in sitting still, a recognition that perhaps all those spiritual treasures he’s been chasing for so long were closer than he thought. “My whole adult life has been this journey of trying to figure out where home is,” Ryan reflects. “I think I’ve finally found it.” Rolling out across four distinct EPs, “Wood, Fire, Water, and Air” marks Ryan’s first studio release since putting down permanent roots in Burlington, Vermont, where he recently purchased a house after more than two decades of living on the road.

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