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review by Michael Debbage By the evidence heard here, it appears there is a growing trend of impressive composers arising out of the Utah area. You can add Hicks to the list of artists such as Kurt Bestor and Paul Cardall from this region. Though comparable to David Benoit and Spencer Brewer, Michael presents his own twist on things with this very eclectic collection of music ranging from smooth jazz to solo piano-based compositions. The website of the artist makes it very clear that his faith is of utmost importance. Michael is a Brigham Young University graduate who has worked in the mission field. While this album is clearly geared more to a secular market, Hicks is still not afraid to make reference to his faith both in the liner notes as well as his music. The latter part is most obvious courtesy of "Galilee" which is his own take on the hymn "Be Still My Soul." That said, Hicks does not feel the need to hit you across the head with his doctrine gun. Rather, he takes a subtler route, reminding us of the beautiful world that our Creator has made, thus the appropriateness of the album title. And the stirring title track opens the album on a light but affecting moment. Hicks' dances across his keyboards countered with some gorgeous nylon acoustic guitar work from Rich Dixon. The song continues to build with Dixon finally transitioning to the electric guitar giving us a strong but controlled solo. Along with Todd Sorenson's percussion work, this[song] sets a positive tone for the entire album. Other upbeat moments include the jazzy "Under The Red Sea" [which] even includes a touch of steel drum embellishments. The integration of jazz and new age themes certainly reminds me of the underrated [artist] Spencer Brewer from his days with Narada. There is also the very bubbly "Road Trippin" (also featured on the multimedia bonus). Unfortunately, Hicks chose drum programming over the services of Sorenson. Thus the song is not quite as strong as it could have been. There are similar issues with the exotic "Uhuru," which includes the Kilimanjaro Choir and its African chanting. Alas, they do not sound very authentic but I am sure budget restraints prevented Hicks from soliciting the services of Ladysmith Black Mambazo :-) The album is countered with the more somber and stripped down moments of Hicks and his piano. Some of the more memorable moments are "Nature's Catch," "Muir Woods" and "Place Of Healing." The latter features the bassoon work of Michael's father Roger, presenting a fine father-son moment. The song at times brings to mind Judy Collins' sentimental "Send In The Clowns." Frankly, with the exception of one or two arrangement shortcuts that can largely be contributed to an artist on a budget schedule, the performance and production are impressive. Released in the year 2000, Hicks has returned to religious based activities that are geared more to a specific audience. However, I would certainly welcome his return to this genre melting pot as Creations is a subtle reminder of the beautiful world our Creator has provided for us. And I thank Hicks for reminding us of that in such an effective and artistic way. |
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