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review by Bill Binkelman This is a hit and miss effort from Gemini Sun Records, the label started by the Gunns (Nicholas and Cheryl). Some of what is here is good to very good, and other tracks are either misplaced (disrupting the flow of what comes before or after) or simply not to my liking. The artists featured include both Nicholas and Cheryl, as well as pianist/keyboardist Loren Gold and multi-instrumentalist Mars Lasar. It's hard to say who comes out on top, because no one delivers consistently excellent material, although Gold probably comes closest to achieving a perfect score. He is a good piano player and displays his solid skills at mixing electronic keyboard textures in with the ivories (such as the lush strings that adorn the softly romantic "All Around Me"). His "Searching" may be the best song on the CD, painting a rather forlorn, if not even melancholic, sonic portrait. One can imagine being on the road for days on end, in search of something that is forever out of sight. Lasar fares not so well, mostly because his tracks are poor selections for this compilation, not really meshing with what the other three artists are doing. "Inseparable Universe" features a sampled Japanese violin-like instrument (an acquired taste to say the least) as well as some female world music vocals. "Enchanted" is better, though. The electronic keyboards, which are sampled harp, flute, and strings, blend nicely with birdsong. "Seventh Journey" is the most confusing choice for this album, as it is an electronica pieces that weds Enigma chants and beats to world fusion elements. Personally, I think it's out of place on an album that is titled "Seeking Serenity." As for the Gunns, Cheryl's closing "Beyond the Blue" showcases her strong composing abilities in the traditional new age music genre, blending piano and assorted keyboards with subtle sensual rhythms. Husband Nicholas is, of course, so well known in the genre that his tracks offer just what you would expect, i.e. solid flute playing and tasteful percussion, with well-developed musical themes that are never overly commercial yet still completely accessible. "Awakening" unfortunately throws what sounds like some Native American chanting into what (up until then) was his best selection on this album; the chanting, while placed back in the mix, sounds like it's from another song entirely. "Return to the Grand Canyon" (the title track from that album) is an excellent song but it's too dramatic (and has some overt Native influences, such as tribal-like drums) to fit in well with, e.g., Gold's more contemporary instrumental sound. Given the wide body of work from all these artists (although I don't know how much of it is available to the new Gemini Sun label due to licensing rights), I was surprised at how uncohesive this compilation was. Some of the songs themselves are fine, but more than once I was struck by how out of place a track was in keeping with the theme of "serenity" or how incompatible it was with what was placed before or after it. As such, I can't recommend Seeking Serenity. Solo recordings from any of these artists would be a better choice or else look for a better compilation (such as Real Music's Comfortmusic 1, also reviewed in this issue). |
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