Esteban Obando’s “Montreal (Feeling it All)” wraps listeners in the glow of memory with remarkable sincerity. Originally from Colombia, raised in Montreal, and now based in Los Angeles, the singer-songwriter draws from his own journey to craft a deeply nostalgic reflection on home, identity, and the emotions tied to places that never truly leave us. Released as the opening chapter of his forthcoming Tiny Pieces of Tape vol.1, the single embraces a stripped-back, cassette-recorded aesthetic that values feeling over flawlessness, making every note sound intimate and lived-in.
Obando handles every aspect of the project himself, recording with a vintage four-track cassette machine, the same model famously used by Elliott Smith during the Roman Candle era. Rather than chasing polished perfection, he leans into tape hiss, subtle imperfections, and organic warmth. That DIY philosophy perfectly complements a song built on fleeting memories, observations, and the bittersweet comfort of looking back.
The music unfolds gently through soft acoustic guitar strums and delicate piano, instantly creating a calm, wintry atmosphere. Obando’s tender, warm voice enters almost like an internal monologue, never oversinging but allowing each lyric to settle naturally. His double-tracked vocals add a dreamy haze, while subtle spring reverb wraps everything in a comforting glow. The arrangement remains beautifully restrained, letting the melody breathe.
Lyrically, “Montreal (Feeling it All)” paints vivid snapshots instead of grand declarations. Snowflakes drifting to the ground, frozen streets, crunching boots, and “snow globe memories” become symbols of nostalgia itself. The recurring refrain, “Watching the snowfall, feeling it all,” captures the emotional heart of the song, where memory is experienced not through dramatic storytelling but through quiet sensory details. Even the faint metronome bleed left on the recording enhances its authenticity, making listeners feel as though they’re sitting beside Obando as these memories unfold in real time.
Ultimately, “Montreal (Feeling it All)” reminds us that simplicity often carries the greatest emotional weight. Gentle, heartfelt, and effortlessly immersive, Esteban Obando transforms personal nostalgia into something universal, proving that sometimes the warmest songs are born from embracing imperfection.
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Review by: Naomi Joan