emPower Music & Arts Review by: Levi Hammock Bob Sima’s Thin Little Veil is transformative, profound, and soulful at the same time. Positive in lyrics, positive in feel, these songs are all fun to listen to, fun to play, and easily loved at first hearing. Sima has a heart-warming style and a soulful voice that carries through each song. Sima opens up the album with his brilliantly anthemic song, “Shine”, exclaiming “If you let your guard down long enough you might just like what lets itself on in.” It’s a transformative song that reminds us of the remarkable power in each of us, that we should let our own light shine. The music is just as evocative of this inspiring idea as the lyrics, as it grows from a subtle beginning to an uplifting and catchy chorus. “Amazing” offers a more intimate feel than the generally vibrant tone in Thin Little Veil. “Amazing” speaks to us of hope in difficult times, and reminds us of the enormous beauty in every little thing, “…that thin little veil that floats between me and you. It’s amazing ain’t it?” Sima captures this sentiment with his well-crafted lyrics and tasteful guitar work. It is not just his amazing ability to write a quotable verse or an infectious chorus, but the nuance in Sima’s soulful voice along with his crisp guitar playing makes Thin Little Veil worth hearing over and over. "Looser the Grip" is an upbeat blues about letting go. With lyrics like “You’ve been playing this game, waiting in your finest hour, but that need to win will drain you of your power. Put down your number one. Put down the control. The looser the grip, the lighter the load”, the song is as wise as it is fun. “How You Made Them Feel” is an expressive song about what an enormous effect the way we treat others can have on our world, and how it can really define who we are. Sima writes: “It’s part of the great emancipation, disassociation from the separate lives we lead. ’Cause the essence of the question, isn’t it all about connection, the mark we leave?” Sima has a gift of presenting inspirational ideas in new ways, yet his message is easily understood. “Perfectly Fine With Me” is a personal favorite. It’s about turning inward and acknowledging the spiritual control that we all have inside to guide us. “I will never place my star in another hand ‘cause no one else can make the light shine the way I can.” Sima transforms this wonderful message into a song of joyous contentment. “As Above So Below”, being the only minor tonality song on the album, has a distinctly meditative quality. It is a song about the grandeur and oneness of all, and its ethereal sound is mesmerizing and beautiful. Thin Little Veil is full of masterfully written songs, not only because of their poetic lyrics, but the infectious attitude behind them. The album is expertly produced and infuses pop, gospel, folk and blues, all expressed through Sima’s own keen sensibilities. The songs are easy for anyone to grab a hold of and love at first listen. Thin Little Veil received the Positive Music Association's Seal of Excellence.