REVIEW: CURTIS MACDONALD - When Dreams Come True

CURTIS MACDONALD

When Dreams Come True

CMMP (2013)

It didn't take more than a minute or two into the first playing for me to realize that Curtis Macdonald's When Dreams Come True was something special. After the first four songs, I also realized that the album was clearly one of my favorites of 2013. After getting through the entire recording, I sat there and my main thought was "Why oh why have I not heard of this guy until now?" This is Macdonald's 17th release! Why was this guy not on my radar? Well, he damn sure is now!

Macdonald refers to this album as being centered round romance. "A collection of memorable relaxed rhythmic ballads that is emotional and tender with reflections of love, hope and remembrance." However, from my perspective, When Dreams Come True is more than just what Macdonald describes. It's a world class assortment of chill-out/downtempo tunes that are polished to a chromium sheen; this album, my friends, is why the term "ear candy" was coined. The melodies (almost always featuring piano in the lead) are one killer hook after another and the rhythms and beats are ultra-smooth and ridiculously infectious. Production values are flawless. The mix (by Tony Ugval) places everything in perfect location in the sound field and is superbly balanced. Every note, every ambient texture, every keyboard fill, every beat and pulse  is recognizable as being separate from everything else, yet the blending is such that while you can pick out the individual instruments, you can also just melt into the total package of each of these 12 luxuriously chilled tracks.

As I absorbed the music deeper through my ten-plus playings of this CD, I came to "hear" that, yes, romance is a lynchpin of the recording. It's not just exemplified in the song titles ("Holder of My Heart," "We Have Each Other," "With a Love like Ours") but also in the melodies which are always of a smooth, flowing nature with rich, usually with warm major key lead refrains. However, this emphasis on "love" does not detract from what is the album's musical strength, i.e. extremely catchy tunes enhanced with spot-on application of assorted "lite electronica" and buoyed by chill-out/downtempo beats that add catchy, toe-tapping rhythms without ever veering away from the overall good-nature of the music itself. When Dreams Come True should evoke comparisons to contemporaries such as Dave Mauk, David Wahler, and Ryan Farish, and to a lesser extent, Davol. Macdonald is never as revved up as some of these artists (especially Davol), so this CD is a must-play for those who are hungry for late night chill-out tuneage with a dash of sophistication, a mellow vibe, and just the right amount of sensuality to be noticeable but not overpowering. Whether you are courting someone new over cocktails in your downtown loft at midnight or renewing a long-time love in front of a roaring fire in a cabin up north, When Dreams Come True will fill the air with an air of romance without one ounce of schmaltz, syrup or overkill.

Singling out individual tracks for inclusion in this review is a tough call. The opening "All Roads Lead to You" starts with a reverbed piano line over fluid, flowing synth washes before the mid-tempo chill beats emerge and percolate away, bringing to mind the image of cruising down a country highway with the sun setting against rolling hills in the distance. Somber synth strings kick off "Holder of My Heart" and the quasi-glitchy beats and melancholic piano melody drape a veil of subdued romance over the prelude, while the main body of the song amps up the rhythms with some thumping bass. Macdonald has an unbelievable knack for writing melodies that sound heartfelt yet accessible, sweet but never sappy. Buzzing, whirring retro synths open "Diamonds in the Night Sky" along with Sputnik-ish bleeps, then the piano comes into the picture, as well as the midtempo trap kit beats, and the evocation is of walking underneath a canopy of stars, perhaps along a tropical beach. "Through a Painter's Eyes" starts off low-key with just piano and bass - very ballad-like - but a semi-lounge motif is introduced via various keyboard sounds and subdued but faster tempo rhythms.

Well, I could go on and on. However, in some ways, words can't convey that, while the literal written description of each track may infer that each song sounds somewhat the same (piano lead melody, synth textures, midtempo chill-out beats), each track is absolutely distinct and different. Because each track is structured around the same core elements, the album's continuity and cohesion are tight and solid. When Dreams Come True can be enjoyed either piece-by-piece or all at once. The main thing, though, is to pick up on it and start enjoying it!

The album is available from CDBaby, Amazon.com and iTunes.

REVIEW: BRADLEY JOSEPH - Paint the Sky

BRADLEY JOSEPH

Paint the Sky

Robbins Island Music (2013)

Paint the Sky is pianist/keyboardist Bradley Joseph’s (who hails from my home town of the Twin Cities) first release containing all original music in ten years…and boy, has he been missed. Joseph is one of the very best artists when it comes to crafting piano instrumentals augmented by the spot-on application of an assortment of keyboard embellishments, from standard orchestral accompaniment to more textural/new age elements. I remember one of my Wind and Wire (the magazine) reviewers, Judy Markworth, waxing eloquently about his 1997 release, Rapture. Now, it’s not like Joseph has been avoiding releasing music, but Paint the Sky is his first recording of all-original material after more than a few cover tune, standards, and holiday recordings. I can only hope that we won’t have to wait another ten years for the follow up to this exceptional album.

Joseph wastes no time whisking the listener away on the first track, “Inside the Stars,” with its uptempo, joyous lead piano melody accented by bouncy rhythms played on kit drums, thumping bass, and tambourine plus superlative orchestral strings. Not many artists know how to really open an album so that the listener is immediately grabbed. Bradley Joseph “gets it” to say the least. This is a “put the convertible’s top down and head for the open road” track if there ever was one! Lush strings and gorgeous new age synths kick off “Secrets of the Sun” with the piano melody here brimming with a blend of the ethereal and the romantic with a dash of wistfulness besides. The synth sounds remind me a little of Ray Lynch (where has he gone, by the way?), which from me is high praise. “Into the Big Blue” should instantly call Aaron Copeland to mind – it has the same BIG orchestral/cinematic sound to it, along with Copland-esque western rhythm and melodic motifs…one can almost imagine an huge expanse of vast prairie whirring past as one climbs on top a swift horse and races for the horizon! With just these three opening tracks, the price of admission for Paint the Sky is already justified…but we are far from being done, no sir.

Joseph quiets things down on “Your Eyes Say Goodbye” (as the title would suggest). A contemplatively romantic ballad of relatively minimal piano and restrained yet dramatic strings features a solo violin keyboard (which can be very hard to duplicate with keyboards) that is quite well done, in fact much better than, perhaps, 90 percent of the artists who try this. The song carries traces of sadness too…gentle, but noticeable. “In Dreams Awake” bears a strong contemporary classical influence, and some of you might even hear strains of Phillip Glass’ music (yes, the violins in this song are that exceptional as is the subtle use of choir which is also admirable). There is an exultant feel to the melody, but because Joseph maintains absolute control of nuance and shading the song never descends into overblown melodrama or bombast. As the track progresses, the mood and style shifts into a more identifiable new age motif, with more textural synths, bell tones and bell trees, and a more pronounced sweeping sensation of subdued grandeur. The Glass-like motif returns for the song’s finale. “Rainbow Fields” is straight-up pop instrumental magic, upbeat with just enough smooth jazz feel (without overt funk or urban sensibilities). When I heard this track, I remembered that Joseph spent time playing with Yanni and I can hear a little cross-blending of their two styles in this likable track.

I can’t detail the remaining seven tracks due to lack of space, but trust me that everything else on the CD is equally great, from a romantic solo piano number (“I’ll Wait for You”), another rousing cinematic/orchestral piece (“What a Time It Was”), a short, whimsical get-up-and-go solo tune (“Brave New Day”) to the ultra-soothing neo-ambient synthesizer-rich “Spirit of the Calm.”

Production and engineering is impeccable. Bradley Joseph has been at this for a long time and he knows what he is doing when it comes to maneuvering the knobs, sliders, and switches. His taste in electronic keyboard sounds is unassailable. A myriad of styles, moods, and tempos fills Paint the Sky with one aural delight after another. The songs within are true gifts bestowed on not just Bradley Joseph’s fans, who have no doubt hungered for a new CD of originals for years, but for newbies as well, who will no doubt immediately start snatching up his back catalog (or at least they will if they are smart). I have complete confidence stating that Paint the Sky will land on many “best of” lists by year’s end, provided the list-maker has any taste whatsoever. This album is a tremendous “I’m back” effort from Bradley Joseph the composer, and to that I say “Hear hear!”

The album is available through iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon, or directly from the artist.

REVIEW: JOHN LYELL - Eternity

JOHN LYELL
ETERNITY
Self-released
(2012)

John Lyell may not be one of the more prolific artists in the spacemusic/ambient genres (this is his fourth album in 14 years, the first two being recorded and released with former fellow musician Brent Reiland), but he sure has honed his craft in just those few albums. Eternity, his second solo release, is even better than 2006's Dimensions, which was already quite impressive. While some artists in these two genres are able to crank out albums faster than their legions of fans can gobble them up, an artist like Lyell takes his own sweet time to get it right – and that's what he does throughout Eternity's ten tracks.

Before delving into the details of the music, I just wanted to clarify that, while I can see categorizing this as ambient music, it's because the song titles almost all reference space or astronomical images that I would personally list this as spacemusic, first and foremost, and I don't mean the broader sense of the word as Stephen Hill uses it, but the more exacting definition of spacemusic which includes seminal artists such as Geodesium and Jonn Serrie. That's not to say that ambient fans would dislike this disc – far from it. I'm merely emphasizing that this is music ideally suited for stargazing, either the real thing or simply laying back in a dark room, envisioning cruising through the cosmos.

I mention Geodesium (Mark Pedersen) and Serrie above because I think Lyell's music is the perfect hybrid of the two, without being overtly imitative of either one. Like Geodesium, Lyell uses pulses, tones, and electronic textural notes (not drums, though) to establish a rhythm, usually a slow cruising one (some of Geodesium's music is quite frenetic in comparison), and like Serrie, he wields a variety of sweeping synth pads and washes to impart a sensation of the vast reaches of space. Also, like both of the spacemusic pioneers, Lyell believes in a "friendly" and warm space. This music is seldom, if ever, dark or intimidating, but it's also never syrupy (as some of Serrie's mid-period releases were, e.g. Midsummer Century and Lumia Nights) and is very rarely energizing, unlike a larger percentage of Geodesium's uptempo tracks on any one of his CDs. Instead, Lyell opts for a mellow, subtle feeling of movement, if any at all, or else just a mild drifting sensation (e.g. on the second track, aptly titled "Eternal Drift"). There is one "peppy" track here, "Pulse of Destiny," on which fast tempo bass synth rhythms pulse under a variety of spacy synth pads amidst some tres cool, decidedly retro, sounds and effects.

What appeals the most to me about Eternity (and Dimensions, for that matter) is how relatively uncomplicated the music is; it carries no hidden agendas, no pretentions, yet it's not" simple" either in the sounds used or the manner in which Lyell layers his various synths. Another winning element is how easy it is to get into this music. From the first playing – hell, from the first track – I was captivated and couldn't wait to listen to the whole CD. Part of this is because Lyell eschews the more normally long track durations (normal for the ambient and sometimes spacemusic genres). The longest song, "Whispering Light," clocks in at just under 8 minutes, two tracks are under 5 minutes and five are in the six minute range. One might think this would lead to discontinuity of theme, but owing to how Lyell sticks to what I would describe as his "formula," just the opposite is true. Eternity is more cohesive a listening experience than some of the previously mentioned artists' recordings are, which is not meant as a knock on them.

All ten tracks on Eternity prove to be solid additions to the spacemusic canon, but I will admit a

a particular fondness for the following: "Eternity" and its pinging pulses, whooshing synths, and haunting keyboard melodies, the gentle percolations of "Star Seeker" with flowing cosmic synths, high-pitched sonar bleeps, and underlying quasi-vibe tones, with a base melody that perfectly captures the essence of "spaciness," and the soft sighing of somewhat mournful wafts of melody on "Dreams of Orion" blended with sparse, somber deep but warm drones and occasional twinkling star showers.

While in today's music purchasing environment of downloads (as opposed to brick and mortar stores), a CD's appearance has much less impact on drumming up potential buyer interest, Eternity is also the best looking of Lyell's previous recordings, and he made some great font and layout choices as well (if only more artists had his aptitude for that!). However, let's face it, it's still the music that matters most, and in that regard, Eternity is fantastic and, while it's a blatant cliché to state this, I consider it an essential addition to the library of any spacemusic fan. As one final inducement to pique your interest, the disc was mastered by Robert Rich at his Soundscape Studios, so you just know it's gonna sound killer on headphones.

The album is available from Amazon, iTunes, or CDBaby.

REVIEW: KEVIN KELLER - the day I met myself

KEVIN KELLER

AND THE KEVIN KELLER ENSEMBLE

the day I met myself

Kevin Keller Productions (2012)

It's difficult, to say the least, to capture in words my reaction to Kevin Keller's masterful recording, the day I met myself. Part of this dilemma is that I have far less experience reviewing contemporary classical music, which this likely will resemble for many readers of my reviews (and likely is best categorized as such). The other aspect, though, is the same reaction I had to Kevin Keller's (and his ensemble) earlier work, in absentia. This is intensely emotional, personal, and intimate music, not easily deconstructed into components or interpreted into analogies or metaphors. The sheer weight of the music, its gravitas if you will, is staggering if one really delves into it. It's perhaps like investing oneself in therapy (which I have done). Traveling the road that the day I met myself lays out for the listener is a journey that is at once scary and rewarding. On the other hand, from a more superficial perspective, i.e. on the mere surface, the music itself is so beautiful, so lovely, so intriguing that even a casual listen will likely draw a person into an uncommon listening experience.

As on in absentia, Keller is once again joined by his ensemble, although this time minus percussionist Tomm Roland. Present on the CD are Christa Robinson (oboe, English horn), Courtney Orlando (violin), John Pickford Richards (viola), and Clarice Jensen (cello). Keller plays celesta as well as piano. Every accompanist plays an important role, albeit their relative impact varies track to track.

Every one of the ten pieces has a single word title, addressing a state of mind or a state of being. Musical mood and tempo vary, although if one were to listen to the entire album in one sitting, the variation would be less obvious unless one intentionally listened for it. This cohesiveness is difficult to concretize but easy to absorb. There is no overriding "theme," but instead a trip through a cavalcade of emotional expression and musical motifs. "Innocence" has an air of melancholy to it, presenting a paradox to the usual titular aspect of joyfulness and exploration. "Unfolding" carries a hint of excitation and enthusiasm, albeit tinted by the inclusion of minor key notes which leans the impact in the direction of subtly unsettling. Keller's celesta tones, in particular, stand out, counterpointing the oboe and plucked strings. "Evanescence" is a more emotionally neutral track, on which Keller's piano and the ensemble play as a unit more than on other selections – it’s one of the more straightforward chamber-esque pieces here. "Searching" (one of favorites on this disc) conveys the titular reference through a rhythmic theme carried by plucked strings as well as a sense of urgency via Keller's piano. However, what makes this track so interesting is the slightly macabre cast it has, almost gothic at times. The piano refrain makes me think of walking down shadowed hallways in a deserted mansion, where furniture is draped with dust-layered sheets. It's this incredibly rich imagistic component of Keller's music that makes the day I met myself so rewarding a listen (well, that and the considerable performing talent of Keller and his ensemble members, of course).

"Remembering" will evoke comparison to Mychael Danna and Tim Story for fans of those two artists – the selection shares a tragically sad minimalism with those two, especially with the repeated string refrain set against the piano. "Beckoning" opens in an almost ethereal mood, but soon veers into somberness and even mournfulness. While the mood is downcast, the music itself is so achingly beautiful that this juxtaposition may pose the question "How does one come to 'love' music that is so rife with pensiveness?" Yet, that is the ultimate riddle of the day I myself.

I have not done my usual adequate job of properly describing the music on this CD, which is what I try to do in my reviews. As I stated earlier, the day I met myself is beyond mere written description. It's probably obvious that unless you at least tolerate (and better yet, enjoy) classical music, you may not warm to this CD as I have. There are no synths here, and the intent to create a chamber music-like aesthetic is easily apparent. However, what Keller is doing with his music transcends the conventions of classical and chamber music (and that is not meant to belittle either genre). Keller is digging deep into the human experience on this album. It's beautiful and also somewhat intimidating, in the sense that if you open up to this music, and allow it to penetrate you, if you give yourself over to it (in the words of "V" from V for Vendetta, if you "commit to it"), listening to the CD will be a revelatory experience. And if that isn't enough of an endorsement for a recording, I don’t know what is. 

Sound clips available here. The CD is available for purchase at iTunes, the artist's website, Amazon.