CD Review – Loveren, by David Arkenstone and Charlee Brooks

The latest release in David Arkenstone’s 25-year-plus recording career finds the new age legend collaborating with operatic vocalist Charlee Brooks on an ambitious musical tale set in the magical realm of mermaids.

 

Arkenstone brings his formidable multi-instrumental talents to bear on this project, which is also the basis for an original live production. Arkenstone’s hallmark sounds (guitars, bass, keyboards, and percussion, in addition to instrumentation and orchestration from other musicians) are evidenced in full force here, with a dramatic new twist: Many of the songs are sung by Brooks in a new language created just for this CD and live show – Mermish, the supposed language of mermen, mermaids, and all sorts of merfolk. The result is a musical journey unlike most, combining fantasy and folklore for an enchanting otherworldly experience.

 

The packaging is also exquisite, recalling the medieval milieu of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. The unique art design and direction amplify the idyllic lyricism of the dreamlike world of song and music that Arkenstone and Brooks have created.

 

This album provides thrilling escape and should be of particular interest to those listeners who are fond of high-concept music.

 

--Raj Manoharan

CD Review – A Coalescence of Dreams, by Timothy Wenzel

On his second album, keyboardist/composer and molecular research scientist Timothy Wenzel conducts a fusion of musical ideas and themes – partly inspired by sojourns to Hawaii, his native Michigan, and Europe – that coalesce into a pleasant, dream-filled excursion.

 

Wenzel uses his keyboards and synthesizers to generate a variety of sounds, entrancing tones, and lush ethereal textures. In addition to gentle piano, Wenzel’s sonic palette includes strings, flutes, chimes, and percussion. The audio mix also includes the taut drums of Lenny Levesh on a couple of tracks and the scorching guitar of Denmark’s Michael Rud on one track.

 

While the recordings are complex in their intricately constructed layers, the compositions are at once simple and wide-ranging, evoking a visceral, cinematic feel.

 

This CD offers musical escapades that are both relaxing and exciting. Timothy Wenzel’s dreams are good dreams to have.

 

--Raj Manoharan

CD Review – Scorpion Moon, by Sora

The Canadian songstress’s latest album is a great showcase for her vocal and compositional abilities, taking pages so to speak from sources as diverse as ancient myths and children’s fairy tales.

 

Sora’s lyrics are full of vivid imagery and heartfelt emotion, inspired as they are by her passion for literature and her strong stance on love and relationships.

 

Sora breathes life into these poetic musings with her supple voice, which commands your attention with its stream-like fluidity and in-your-face (in a good way) urgency. She has a unique style all her own, which is refreshing in the current climate of unreasonable facsimiles and unflattering imitation.

 

The songs are also richly adorned with solid, sparkling instrumentation. In addition to playing piano on one track, Sora has assembled a fine ensemble of musicians. This exquisite group takes the music effortlessly through a variety of genre forms, including pop, new age, Celtic, classical, and orchestral.

 

For those looking for a different listening experience, the CD provides a welcome detour from the usual expectations.

 

--Raj Manoharan

CD Review – Hidden Journey, by Scott August

The latest release by award-winning and chart-topping Native American-style flutist Scott August features music that is as grand as the awe-inspiring majesty of the Southwestern landscapes that inspired it.

 

August’s various flutes are the heart and soul of the album, weaving a thread around which August adds guitars, sitar, keyboards, synthesizers, and percussion to create a mystical desert symphony.

 

Cliffs, canyons, and red rocks are the stuff of this CD’s dreams, conjured not only by the impressionistic music but also by the beautiful photography that permeates the CD jacket. The album artwork and the music both serve as a portal to a world of natural beauty.

 

Tracks such as “Summer Horizons,” “Turquoise Trail,” “Red Rock Crossing,” and “Searching for the Ancients” capture the sweeping mystique of the American Southwest’s vast expanse, making this a hidden journey well worth taking.

 

--Raj Manoharan

CD Review – Red, by Isadar

Although Isadar’s latest solo piano album was timed to release around Valentine’s Day because of its love-inspired themes, the music is wide-ranging and versatile enough to be enjoyed all year long.

 

The real love that comes through on the CD is that which Isadar clearly has for music and the piano, as evidenced by his brilliant and quirky songwriting and passionate performances. Some of the tunes are subtle and intimate, and others are grand and sweeping, but they are all clever and original thanks to Isadar’s convention-defying compositions. Sometimes you think you know where the music’s leading you, and then all of a sudden it comes at you out of left field, making it lively and engaging.

 

This writing style keeps Isadar’s fingers on their toes, so to speak. Isadar’s mastery of his craft is apparent in the seemingly effortless ease with which he can go from light to dark and from understated to emphatic. His phrasing and chord progressions are also smart and snappy.

 

This is a rewarding experience for those who are willing to accompany Isadar on his musical journey of love.

 

--Raj Manoharan

CD (Fan) Review – Long Wave, by Jeff Lynne

If you’re a fan of Jeff Lynne from his days as the lead singer of and creative force behind 1970s super-group Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), or from his work as a producer on the solo albums of his fellow Traveling Wilburys George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty in the late 1980s/early 1990s (this is how I first learned of Lynne), then this album is an absolute must-have.

 

This CD is a collection of covers of 11 early rock and pre-rock standards that influenced Lynne over long-wave radio when he was growing up in Birmingham, England, from artists as diverse as The Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry, and Rodgers and Hammerstein.

 

The disc is a testament to Lynne’s formidable studio production prowess, as evidenced by the fact that Lynne performs lead and background vocals and plays electric and acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards, and drums (as he also does on Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra, his recently released rerecording of ELO’s greatest hits). Additional musicians contribute strings and shakers and percussion.

 

Every track is brilliant, but Lynne’s renditions of Charles Aznavour’s “She,” “Smile” (co-written by Charlie Chaplin), “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing,” and “Beyond the Sea” are simply stunning. My favorite is “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing,” which is truly a revelation. Lynne’s vocals are as sprightly as ever (especially amazing considering that Lynne was 63 to 64 years old when he recorded the CD two to three years ago) and the guitar work is superb. Overall, the album proves how underrated Lynne is as a passionate, earnest vocalist and sensitive, thoughtful guitarist.

 

Even if you’re not a fan of or are not acquainted with Jeff Lynne, you should strongly consider adding this CD to your playlist. It is captivating, enthralling, and mesmerizing. It is one of the best albums of all time.

 

--Raj Manoharan

CD (Fan) Review – Fundamental, by Andy Summers and Fernanda Takai

Andy Summers’ latest album – his first with a band in nearly a decade (aside from The Police) and his first with vocals throughout (although not his) since his 1987 solo debut – is an excellent addition to his catalog.

 

The songs, written by Summers with the exception of the non-English lyrics on about half of the album, are a mix of bossa nova, pop, rock, and jazz, and are sung by popular Japanese-Brazilian singer-songwriter Fernanda Takai, whom Summers met while working on the United Kingdom of Ipanema concert/documentary DVD with Brazilian guitar legend Roberto Menescal.

 

Takai’s warm, sultry vocals blend perfectly with Summers’typically brilliant and complex fusion guitar leads, rhythms, and solos, and the balanced sound mix allows both the vocals and the guitars to shine without drowning each other out.

 

In addition to acoustic and electric guitars, Summers plays keyboards and synthesizers, and his tight, solid band includes longtime collaborator Abraham Laboriel Sr. on bass and Marcos Suzano on drums and percussion.

 

Every track is wonderful, but my absolute, instant favorite is“Falling from the Blue.” This is what The Police might have sounded like if Takai were the vocalist instead of Sting (I’m sure Sting still would have been the bassist). Luckily for Sting, Takai was just a little girl when The Police first came together.

 

The melting pot of musical cultures and the outstanding performances of everyone involved make this an exhilarating and rewarding listening experience. Andy Summers’ fans certainly will not be disappointed.

 

--Raj Manoharan