Spotlight: Heart Song by Elise Lebec

Heart Song is the sophomore album from composer and pianist, Elise Lebec, who is a self-taught musician. As a child, Elise would fall asleep at night while listening on headphones to artists like George Winston, Enya, Loreena McKennitt and Andreas Vollenweider, which led her to explore a world of musical composition at a young age. Combining neoclassical and ambient piano with other instruments, Elise is joined by a handful of guest musicians on several of the compositions, which include cellists Elizabeth Vandervennet and David Darling, as well as Jeff Oster on Fugelhorn. A theme of sailing, seaside and the ocean is conveyed throughout by wistful melodies that often create feelings of both serenity and solitude. Contemplative, romantic and beautifully tranquil, Heart Song is evocative of the past, like drawing upon memories that are sacred to the heart, or rediscovering love letters long tucked away or once forgotten only to be reflected upon sometime later.

One of my favorite pieces on the album is "Ghost Ships", which opens with Tibetan singing bowls, bells and synthesized vocal sounds. Mesmerizing and haunting, the song is named for the centuries-old phenomenon where ancient sailors would see phantom ships in the distance due to an optical illusion. The equally gorgeous "Moonlit Waters" showcases the delicate, ethereal vocals of Elise herself amidst solo piano. She sings a forlorn melody with melancholic lyrics of love and longing, and I certainly hope to hear more of her captivating voice on future recordings.

With Heart Song, Elise has created one of the loveliest piano-centric albums that I've had the pleasure of listening to in recent memory. The pensive, tender moods and overall sense of nostalgia really resonated with me, making it sure to be among my personal favorite albums of the year. Creative, innovative and most of all heartfelt, Heart Song comes highly recommended as a musical gift that beckons repeated listens!

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Amazon and iTunes.

This review was originally published on Journeyscapes Radio on 03/14/15.

Spotlight: Reiki Hands of Love by Deuter

Sitting among the most quintessential of New Age composers is Deuter (pronounced “Doy-tur”), an early pioneer of this musical genre whose impressive catalog of serene soundscapes extends back to the early 1970’s. Reiki (pronounced “RAY-key”) – an ancient energy healing system from Japan – is the inspiration for Reiki Hands of Love, which joins the ranks among other Reiki themed albums such as his highly acclaimed Reiki Hands of Light (1998), and Koyasan: Reiki Sound Healing (2007).

Like a subtly sweet aroma, “Reiki Hands of Love” is an album to reach for when you want to create an atmosphere of pure peace. It is ‘high vibration’ music in that it resonates with the upper chakras (heart, throat, brow and crown) which possesses a gossamer, heavenly quality conveyed by soothing synthesizers and classical instruments.

The album’s first piece, “Morning Light Silhouettes”, opens with gentle piano, followed by misty chords, strings and flute. These relaxing elements are present throughout the album, along with other calm-inducing sounds such as gentle guitar on “Love’s Winged Messenger”, angelic voices on “Unknown Doors”, and harpsichord on “Deeper than the Sky”.

I tend to listen to this type of music most during the early morning due to its lighter, brighter nature, though others might find it suitable for drifting off to sleep to at night. Regardless, this is holistic music clearly intended to heal and soothe. Reiki Hands of Love again demonstrates why Deuter’s name is virtually synonymous with "new age" music, and this blissfully tranquil yet positively engaging album should be an essential part of any energy healer’s, massage or spa therapist’s collection! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available on Amazon and iTunes.

This review was originally published on Journeyscapes Radio on 02/22/15.

Album Review: With Evening Above by Jeff Pearce

With Evening Above is Jeff Pearce's first ambient guitar album since 2002's Bleed, having since released a few Chapman Stick albums – including 2008's Rainshadow Sky – and a beautiful piano album in 2012 titled In the Season of Fading Light. Although Pearce has released a string of remarkable recordings since the mid-1990's, two of them in particular – Bleed and 2000's To the Shores of Heaven - have long stood-out as my personal favorites. With Evening Above is highly reminiscent of those two albums in both musical style and atmosphere, having fused the strongest elements of each while at the same time presenting a fresh and innovate sound.

With Evening Above is a landmark ambient/space recording composed entirely of processed and layered electric guitars that are warm, enveloping and in many parts could easily be mistaken for synthesizers. Essentially, it is electronic music that also feels organic, evoking images and sensations of being outside in open spaces under clear, starlit skies. There's also an underlying yet ever-present emotionally-stirring quality about the music that subtly tugs at the heart as it transports the mind.

The album opens with the title track, "With Evening Above", a warm, melodic piece conveyed by Pearce's signature guitar-scapes which gently cascade about and engulf the listening space. About half of the album's tracks are imbued with more melodic structure such as this one, and gently alternate with more expansive atmospheric pieces, as exemplified on the closing track "No Matter How Far", a drifting long-form piece over twenty minutes long that is sure to send the listener into dreamland. At its darkest, the music is still tender and elegant - at its brightest, still melancholy and mysterious.

One particular highlight is the track "After Dark", a deeply hypnotic and nocturnal-sounding piece that feels beautifully esoteric, making it my personal favorite. This one should definitely be listened to on headphones in order to experience its full immersion, as there is a whole lot going on beneath the surface of this track that might not be immediately evident with casual listens.

In a way, With Evening Above seems to have come out of nowhere, proving itself to be a stunning return to form and quite possibly Pearce's most impressive album to date. Timeless, ageless, and destined to become a classic, all eight tracks are magnificent from beginning to end, making it one of the absolute best recordings to bless my senses in a very long time. This one is a definite must-have! ~Candice Michelle

For more information please visit the artist's website. This album is also available at Bandcamp, Amazon, iTunes and CD Baby.

Review originally published on Journeyscapes Radio on 01/05/15.