VANCE SHEAKS

West of Eden

Imagineer Records (2005)

Review by Bill Binkelman

Vance Sheaks, an acoustic guitarist I admit to being unfamiliar with, and keyboard player Darren Rogers, have combined their talents on West of Eden, which is, put simply, one of the most charming albums I've heard in quite a while, and most assuredly is one the best mixtures of guitar with synths/keyboards I've ever had the pleasure to review. Having heard some of Rogers' solo efforts, which I had mixed reactions to, I was totally unprepared for the excellent work he does on this disc. Whether stepping out in front at times or adding just the right amount of background textures, Rogers displays both adroit control over a considerable assortment of synths and keyboards and a true artist's ear for restraint and discretion, never veering over into sappiness, melodrama, or overkill. Sheaks' guitar playing is equally as impressive - evocative, engaging, and never overtly showy. His actual method of playing reminded me of no less than new age music icon Bruce BecVar. In fact, West of Eden could be considered a more laid-back and serene companion to the essential BecVar recording Forever Blue Sky. Yeah, it's that good of a CD!

While it may signal the kiss of death for hard core ambientphiles, I think this album is closer to new age as a genre classification, not just because of the presence of such mellow and beautiful acoustic guitar, but the synths frequently are of the flowing "pretty" type that one hears on recordings in that genre. Even though it has some similarities to ambient (the music is introspective and some synths are spacy/ethereal in nature), I would imagine ambient music fans would just plain judge this music to be too pretty and "nice" for their tastes. It's their loss and I hope new age and adult contemporary music lovers reward this fine release with their attention and dollars.

There are thirteen tracks on West of Eden and while each one offers a different take on the overall vibe of the album so that there is some variety here, the continuity factor is also high, since no one track either speeds up nor slows way down, and Sheaks' solo guitar anchors the music even while Rogers jumps from one type of synth to another, song to song.

"Morning Mist" is a lazily drifting tune, with gently whooshing keyboards and washes that flow underneath the guitar. "Looking to the West" expertly blends environmental sounds with Sheaks' subdued yet lively quasi-Michael Hedges type of playing. Rogers brushes the track with just enough synth seasonings to add needed dimension (the keyboard sound here reminded me a bit of Mark Sloniker). "A Gentle Summer Rain" features Rogers moving over to piano at first and then synth, while Sheaks duets with himself (left and right channels, left on harmony and right on lead). The music is soft and plaintive, carrying a hint of reflection or regret. "Memories Never Forgotten" is unabashedly romantic, opening with warm piano and strings before Sheaks' guitar graces the song with a gently rhythmic melody. This track is really quite lovely. Showing some creativity for field recordings, Rogers injects the sound of children playing into the mix, lending some giddiness to "Sandlot," counterpointed by synth cello and a wafting lead synth line.

The album is not flawless, but the missteps are minor when judged against all the great music contained on the CD. The mix is less spacious than I'd like, although you'd never notice it without headphones. There is adequate balance between channels and the guitar is well engineered at all times. Also, for you strictly instrumental types out there, be forewarned of the title song (which closes out the CD) which is a smoky sultry vocal ballad that also features some tasty bluesy muted trumpet work. Unfortunately, I can't tell you who the artists are because (and I seldom complain this vociferously about this aspect of a CD) the font size and style of the liner notes is undoubtedly the most unreadable I have ever seen, which is a shame. However, when the worst thing you can say about an album is that the font of the liner notes is illegible, well, that's a damn minor complaint.

West of Eden is proof that two artists working together can conjure up musical magic, because that's what I hear on this album every time I play it. The symmetry of guitar and keyboards/synths is as near to perfect as I expect to hear anytime soon (the last time I recall anything this perfectly matched may have been the one-shot recording from Lisa Cardinali and Troy Dilley, Within, back in 1997 or 1998). If you enjoy music that is unpretentiously lovely and explores the softer more melodic side of new age meets ambient, I highly recommend this CD.