Album Review—Shine
Shine: A Father-Son Odyssey Through Heart, Groove and Awakening
Music has the power to carry us across landscapes, through memories, into places both familiar and unknown. Released under the collaborative name Leo & The Goat, this project reflects a shared artistic identity shaped through soulful partnership and creative unity. Shine is precisely such a journey. Therefore, we find it to be an album that fuses the magnetic joy of funk with a deeply felt spiritual intention. This is not music made simply for entertainment, but for healing, connection, and reflection. Raphael Groten and his son Oliver Reckord Groten pioneer this with grace, turning their shared vision into a work that shimmers with wisdom, groove, and love.
Genre, Ambition, and Musical Vision
Shine occupies a space where old-school soul, jazz-funk, and socially conscious instrumental music converge. The album’s foundation lies in dynamic grooves and rich harmonic textures, yet it reaches far beyond the dance floor. At its heart, we come across a message of awakening, not only within oneself but across society. Raphael describes the work as a “call for humanity to awaken to greater health and well-being,” while admitting that most of the tracks, being largely instrumental, send that message “to your hips for shakin’.” The blend is unconventional: spiritual sincerity meets joyful movement, showing that an album can be both deeply thoughtful and wildly, beautifully alive.
Uniquely, the duo approached production with patience and mutual respect. The album emerged over two years of intricate work, but some tracks trace back over a decade. That history gives Shine a rare depth: it’s shaped by time, by growth, by the evolving relationship between a father mentoring a son, and a son becoming an equal co-creator. The result is an album that feels timeless yet utterly rooted in the present moment.
About the Artists
Raphael Groten, based in Vermont, has long described himself as a “mugician”, a musician who believes in the power of music as a healing force for all life. His work spans multi-instrumental performance, composition, and production, always grounded in compassionate intention. His son, Oliver Reckord Groten, grew up learning under his father’s guidance. Starting as a child on the keyboard, he later became a skilled composer, programmer, and multi-instrumentalist. Their collaborative relationship is deeply woven into the fabric of Shine. Raphael and Oliver shared not just composing and performing duties, but also in engineering and mixing, which makes Shine a true co-creative family project.
By working side by side in the studio, Raphael and Oliver bring a rare emotional synergy to every note. Their shared commitment to melody, arrangement, and production is evident. We feel that they did not simply make an album together; rather, they made a conversation, a legacy, a shared dream. On their website, Raphael emphasizes this as one of his greatest joys: “Working and playing with him is a true joy!” That joy is audible in Shine, track by track.
1. The Regulator (04:15)
Opening the album with determination and flair, The Regulator establishes a confident groove shaped by funk-forward basslines and crisp keyboard lines. Rebecca Kodis’s violin and soft vocal flourishes provide a luminous contrast to the driving rhythm, giving the track an elegant soul quality. It feels like the sound of setting a course for establishing direction and momentum, a musical regulator dialing in the heart.
2. Shine (03:48)
The title track is the emotional centerpiece: soulful keys, layered chords, and a subtly swinging rhythm come together to conjure a feeling of awakening. The interplay between producer Oliver’s programmed textures and Raphael’s melodic sense gives Shine a generous warmth. As the track evolves, it becomes less about performance and more about presence — a luminous meditation on joy that invites the listener to be fully alive in the moment.
3. Ride (03:27)
Ride is playful yet purposeful. The melody glides forward like a journey on a smooth road: not frantic, but full of energy. The harmonic progressions hint at adventure, at memory in motion, and at the simple, soulful pleasure of moving through life with intention. This track feels like setting off into the unknown, full of optimism and the possibility of discovery.
4. Diggin’ in the Garden (05:08)
Here, the music slows into a deeper, more contemplative groove. Diggin’ in the Garden suggests growth and reverence for change: the title itself evokes tending a sacred space. The arrangements build slowly, adding layers of harmony, light touches of percussion, and nuanced melodic phrases. This track is meditative, almost spiritual — as if the listener is invited into a private garden of sound where flowers bloom in slow motion.
5. Silver Linings (03:58)
Silver Linings strikes a tender balance between hope and realism. Its harmonic arcs feel comforting, like a gentle reassurance that even through difficulty, something soft and glowing remains. The production is understated: no bombast, just a steady lightness, as if reminding you to look for the brightness that quietly persists.
6. Cornerstone (03:57)
This piece acts as an anchor in the album’s emotional structure, something like a musical foundation stone. The chords are rich and firm, the groove steady, and the melody strong yet warm. It feels like a declaration of strength and trust, a moment of grounded clarity in an otherwise fluid journey.
7. Riff Raph (03:37)
Riff Raph brings a playful, improvisational spark. Raphael’s riffs on the keys dance over a light yet firm beat, reminding listeners of his skill as both a composer and a spontaneous performer. There’s an almost joyful looseness here, making us feel as though he is riffing for the joy of music itself.
8. Puddin’ (04:55)
Puddin’ unfolds as a warm and expressive vocal collaboration, with Raphael Groten’s rap-inflected delivery interwoven with Rebecca Kodis’s singing and violin lines. Their voices form a gentle yet dynamic conversation, moving between rhythmic confidence and melodic tenderness. The emotional tone is reflective and sincere, exploring themes of truth, healing, and connection. The instrumentation remains smooth and groove-driven, but it is the interplay between male and female vocals that gives the track its depth, creating a soundscape that feels intimate, uplifting, and filled with heartfelt intention.
9. Play (03:13)
Bright, lively, and carefree, Play invites you to tap into your own sense of fun. The rhythmic bounce and melodic simplicity remind listeners of the joy inherent in pure musical expression. This track is a reminder that not all awakening needs to be solemn because some of it happens in laughter and movement.
10. Eastslide (03:40)
Closing the album, Eastslide flows with graceful ease. The melody drifts into soft resolution, the groove settles into a gentle sway, and the harmonies warm with a feeling of homecoming. It feels like the final step on a journey, a return to stillness, but with a heart full of new understanding.
Take Away
Shine is a deeply rewarding album that proves funk and soul can carry spiritual and social weight without losing their joy. Raphael and Oliver Groten have created more than a collection of songs — they’ve built a world. In listening, one experiences not just musical craft, but a heartfelt philosophy: that awakening, love, and connection can be expressed through rhythm, melody, and shared intention. For those who seek music that lifts the spirit, nourishes the soul, and makes you want to move, Shine is an essential and inspiring listen.