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Review by Bill Binkelman Piainist Eric McCarl concludes his "Trilogy of Light" with Touch the Sun, perhaps the best volume in the three-CD "set." McCarl's talent is evidenced whether the music is cheery and optimistic (the opening "Journey's End"), reflective and somber ("Alone Place"), warm yet minimal ("Soft Light"), dramatic ("Wild West Rain") or tinted with nostalgia ("My Father"). While I have differentiated the moods of some tracks, McCarl maintains continuity with his easy-going, relaxed, and accessible playing style that somehow mixes a fairly impressionistic sound with approachable melodies and a friendly vibe that makes even the sparser tone poems easy to appreciate on first playing. McCarl's music has an innate sensitivity and emotionalism which he brings to the forefront when he is at his softest and most delicate, such as on the closing "Window Sill" (a soundtrack for gazing out from a second or third story apartment and watching the sunset on a summer's eve as children play and adults laugh in the fading light of a quiet neighborhood). "Lost, Again" is a spot-on depiction, through music, of being pleasantly adrift and aimless, not quite sure where you may be at the moment but not that concerned since you don't feel threatened or afraid. McCarl even tackles the blues with "Blue Blue City," albeit blues filtered through his quasi-new age music artist's eye. The piano riff here is a blend of gentle melodicism and funky shuffle and slinks around nicely, with McCarl imparting just the right amount of earthy rhythm through his lower register playing. The artist also has a knack for catchy refrains, even though he technically composes in a more free-form style, meaning not following a straight-forward verse/verse/chorus/bridge format. His six note refrain on the title track really gets in your head immediately and the way he mixes the tempo (not in a startling way, but in an engaging way) I found particularly pleasing. If you enjoy warm accessible piano music that is mostly low key (seldom, if ever, resorting to either pyrotechnics or explosions of high drama) yet is carefully nuanced and not too easy (as in "easy listening") on the ears, Touch the Sun should prove itself to be a winner and may wind up being one of your favorites of recent years. I'll bet this makes a great "end of the day driving around in the country" CD, with the sky glowing orange-pink and the promise of a hearty meal in a small-town diner looming just down the road. Yeah, Eric McCarl's music does that to me, and I wouldn't be surprised if it weaves that same spell on you. Needless to say, I solidly recommend the album. |
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