The Sound of Songs Across the Water

Fifteen years have passed since his band flamed out at CBGB, and Riley sees the life his former guitarist Will Taylor has built — successful producing career, the lovely Lena for a wife, a gated home — and he wants some of that luck for himself. Jumping the fence, Riley brings the shadows of the past back to Will, and long-buried conflicts darken the sunny Southern California scene. Lena herself is restless in this creative world; she has been living in the background of the music industry far too long, and this summer becomes one of longing and self-discovery for her and for her uninvited guest.

The Sound of Songs Across the Water traces creation and betrayal, joining and fissure at a time when lovers still made mixtapes to show they cared. Rob Yardumian’s language vibrates like a string under the pressure of fingertips, sliding and reckless as he tells the story of bittersweet inspiration and the pain of bringing art to life.