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review by Bill Binkelman Forging ahead with his musical career despite the tragic death of his wife and partner, Hilde, Gerald Krampl has released yet another album as Agnus Dei. Like previous efforts, the CD showcases his adroit combination of piano with electronic new age-style keyboards and drum/hand percussion programming. Krampl paints thirteen warm, melodic accessible musical portraits encompassing a modest but discernible variety of tempos and moods, although there is no mistaking his signature touches, especially his use of synth strings underneath his piano and his flowing compositional style that features refrains and traditional verse/verse/chorus/bridge motifs. Once again, there is a certain sameness that creeps into the album as it plays, but assuming you like his motifs, this should not be a detriment to your enjoyment of this well-executed and occasionally inspired recording. As with previous efforts, the liner notes contain poems written by the artist's late wife, translated into both German and English. For those who are concerned, though, this is an all-instrumental album. The poems are "backstory" for the music, if you will. I found Gaia to be a bit more celebratory and joyous at times than previous releases. "Goddess of Earth" starts things off with lively rolling piano, sampled hand drums and some nice tom-tom trap set beats, harpsichord, strings and chorales, all of it in the service of a cheerful upbeat melody. "Song of Hope" is appropriately titled, as strings and piano set a dramatic yet sunny optimistic tone, set off by subtle electronic percussion. On some tracks, Krampl branches out from previous recordings using a broader palette of electronic effects here and there, such as on "Allies" which features some organ-like keys and thumping new age style rhythmic elements. Piano usually stays out in front of any other instrumentation, especially on songs like "Bird of Wood." When Krampl steers over into more melancholy waters, such as on "The Apple Tree" the results are less satisfying, because the piano's volume (which tends to be loud) dominates the mix, undercutting the intended somberness of the composition. I enjoyed the uptempo songs here, though, like "My River" which is possibly the most energetic thing Krampl has recorded so far displaying dexterous keyboard work on both piano and synths. It also incorporates some atypical (for the artist that is) compositional styles, including some quasi-retro keyboards in a semi-Berlin vein. "In the End" closes out the CD with piano, new age keyboards, pan pipes and hand percussion. The song is cheerful and romantic and is a nice concluding piece. Gaia is different enough at times from Agnus Dei's previous releases (Angelos, Merlyn and Lemuria) that it's not a "cookie-cutter" album, however it's not strikingly divergent either. Basically, if you enjoyed Gerald Krampl's earlier work, you will almost certainly like this as well. It's arguably his most refined and pleasing recording so far. He seems to have located a middle ground of classic new age romanticism and adult contemporary accessibility that, if a little "sing-songy" at times, is also heartfelt and likable if you have a fondness for warm melodic piano/keyboard music. I also admire how he has pressed onward despite his recent loss. In that way, Gaia is a joyful celebration of the human spirit's ability to endure and persevere. |
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