Mark Montijo’s If I Get To Heaven radiates an unforced intimacy that’s hard to resist. The California native’s latest album feels like a quiet meditation, starting with the standout opener “Lost Art,” where Montijo’s hushed, reflective vocals unfold over an understated yet lush arrangement. The song immediately pulls you into his world—one marked by contemplation and bittersweet nostalgia.
The production throughout is strikingly organic, with acoustic textures and subtle flourishes allowing Montijo’s deeply felt lyrics to sit front and center. “Big Night” is a prime example of this balance, where the interplay between banjo, guitar, and crystalline drums conjures a spacious, pastoral warmth. The mix feels as crisp as a clear evening breeze. Meanwhile, “Someone Can Fly” pares things down even further, highlighting Montijo’s deft fingerpicking and a vocal delivery that lands somewhere between soothing and soulful.
Not all of the tracks rest in melancholy, though. “Horse Named Lefty” injects a sense of playfulness into the mix, a moment of levity that feels as reflective as it does joyful. The closing track, “Summer Sun,” takes a different turn—an emotionally stirring closer that Montijo delivers with a tenderness capable of evoking personal memories in the listener.
If I Get To Heaven is a graceful collection of songs, each unfolding like a quiet sunset, lingering in warmth and inviting you into its contemplative glow.