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The surface of a remote mountain lake, at dawn, is a seemingly impenetrable and mellifluous plane of serene beauty. However, below the surface lurks the compelling unknown, the murky darkness that haunts each and every one of us.

It's that same darkness that, for most people, will never reach the surface. But for those brave enough to reach that surface, there awaits a whole new world to conquer. Such is the case with the unassuming musical mind of Roger Apodaca. Were it not for the dismantling of his former "on the verge" group GoMotorCar, the songs that make up "At Dawn" (Black Tie's first album) might never have reached that elusive surface. "I had written songs that I intended to be GoMotorCar songs," Apodaca says. "However, the band called it quits before I could ever bring the songs to the table. So, I wanted to keep going with the songs and music in general."

GoMotorCar's loss turned out to be Apodaca's coin in pocket as the bassist arduously worked out those "few songs" on his home computer. Those songs begat more songs and before long, an entire album's worth of material was created. As such, Apodaca rallied a talented cast of fellow Albuquerque musicians, settled in to the recording studio and turned out the aptly titled "At Dawn." Subsequently, the band was dubbed Black Tie, and the CD went to print, and is best described by the songwriter himself. "The instrumentation is key to the final product," Apodaca notes. "Melodic, ambient guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, and cello gave the album a haunting yet beautiful atmosphere."

But this new flush of creative energy had yet to wane. Immediately after the release of "At Dawn," Apodaca began working on material for a second album. During much of 2006 and the early part of 2007, Apodaca hit the studio in the same manner as before, with his songs and ideas being expanded upon by various guest musicians — many of which have their own respective and well-known bands.

In working on Black Tie's latest release, "Goodbye, Farewell," Apodaca enlisted the help of producer Ryan Martino. The result is an 11-song disc that continues the adventurous path and beautiful atmosphere of "At Dawn" with the help even more ambient guitars, as well as dynamic bass thrums, vibrant drums, atmospheric keyboards, and striking cello.

The mostly instrumental album has songs with vocals spread out that only accentuate the overall tone of the album. The musicians that lend their musical talents to the new album include Ryan Anthony (Jason and the Argonauts), Sean McCullough (Oktober People, Lowlights), Johnny Cassidy (Venus Diablo, GoMotorCar), Justin Ray (Michael Buble's ensemble), Ryan Martino (Of God and Science, BellyAchers), Eric Reynolds (Los Brownspots), Paul Newcomb (Los Brownspots), and Audrey Lee. Each musician adds their own personal element to the already atmospheric quality of the songs and the end result is an album that is melodic, haunting and beautiful at the same time.

These two strikingly vibrant works mark a talent that was birthed only by circumstance. They say everything happens for a reason. Certainly Apodaca would agree now that he possesses two albums that, otherwise, would have belonged to another outfit ...that is, if the songs ever would have reached that proverbial surface. Take a listen and see if you don't agree. Who knows? These songs may just inspire you to do some swimming of your own.

Fans of GoMotorCar's album "True Tonight" should explore Black Tie's releases, as they are a nice follow-up to that landmark album.

Black Tie CD Release Party

Guitar music has never sounded so good, as it takes the form of a side project known as Black Tie. The new local incantation is powered by Roger Apodaca (Scenester, GoMotorCar) and made possible by seven supplemental musicians assisting with vocals, drums, keyboards, cello, electronic programming and other sounds. These songs are a collection of brooding and spacey guitar-driven compositions that have the power to catapult the listener into an otherworldly state of hypnosis. And while Black Tie undoubtedly references Mogwai, integrity remains intact as the music maintains its uniqueness and conveys its own euphonious narrative. The album in celebration, At Dawn, will probably not appeal to pop fans, but will instead capture the hearts of musicians and all who appreciate indie experimentation.

It’s the quiet ones you have to worry about; the ones who are content to say few words and contribute to conversations with only a simple nod. These are the people who are the most complicated. The ones who don’t wear their hearts on their sleeves, whisper instead of roar, smile knowingly instead of laugh out loud. That’s the feeling you get when listening to “At Dawn,” the debut release from Black Tie.

Much like the alias that Jimmy Lavalle has created with The Album Leaf, Black Tie is the creation of one man – local musician Roger Apodaca – and a gang of extremely talented local musicians.

Also much like Lavalle, Apodaca’s product is a fluid pastiche of languid and moody atmospherics, the majority of which are instrumental (again, a whisper instead of a roar).

Much like the peculiar artwork adorning the CD cover, “At Dawn” is a recording that at once soothes the soul and piques the curiosity of the listener. Woven through the disc is the three-part “Shades of Autumn,” the first of which intros the disc with a simple acoustic strum and haunting vocals reminiscent of Mazzy Star.

Part 2 continues with a stolid cello and acoustic guitar counterbalancing each other, while the 11 minute Part 3 ties its predecessors together with a rolling melody that creeps into two minutes of pure silence, only to be broken by a daunting rhythm for the remainder of the tune.

The genius, however, is in between these tracks. Songs like “Again,” “Fearless” and “Midnight’s Curse” each has its own personality, yet they all hold a common but intangible thread. “At Dawn” is a recording that could easily keep the listener scratching their head for years. There’s a certain Western, desert feel to these songs, an isolation or detachment from society that many of us would love to achieve. Escapism, be it only for one hour, is never a bad thing.