San Francisco-based musician Michelle Zheng is the leader of Lunar Noon, a collaborative effort of instrumentalists in the Bay Area and around the world who make it possible for Zheng to tell a deeply personal story through music. Evading straightforward interpretation, Zheng’s musical world creates its narratives by intersecting contrasting genres, including classical, electronic, jazz, choral, and elements of Chinese folk.
In her sophomore album, A Circle’s Round, Zheng emerges with another intimate tale. Set for a November 14 release, the 66-minute-long, 14-track record is a sonic journey through the singer’s meditative search for peace. Acoustically, this message takes on many forms. The sounds of water and forest that have surrounded Zheng’s life and upbringing along California’s coastline find their way literally into the music.
Lunar Noon is one of those bands that crosses the boundaries of genre as if they never had borders, and “Peripheral” is just a hint at the band’s expansive sound. The orchestral arrangement borrows hints of jazz to create its cinematic feel as Zheng’s jaw-dropping vocal range ties it all together. “Peripheral” sounds like it is straight out of a movie. The cabaret-style vocal runs place you in a smoke-filled showroom from the ’50s, while the nuanced fusion work brings it all to modern times. There is showmanship in this utterly captivating performance. The way the arrangement expands throughout the runtime creates a fusion dance with Zheng’s equally dramatic vocals. “Peripheral” might be your first time hearing Lunar Noon, but it won’t be your last. The all-encompassing band makes a name for themselves on “Peripheral” as they separate themselves from their peers with an infectious single that will have you sprinting for another listen.
