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review by Bill Binkelman Ken Hill, who records as Torchlight Creek, is a multi-instrumentalist who fuses electronic keyboards with acoustic guitar and flute (played admirably by accompanist Dan MacCallum), yielding solid results on his debut release, Two Moons. He handles both the electronics and the acoustic guitar with equal dexterity, especially on the moody opening track, "On Dream's Ledge," which begins as a drifting ambient song, full of washes of synth chorales and echoed chimes, crosses over into EM textures, and then subsides into shimmering synths before finally introducing a midtempo series of beats, piano, and acoustic guitar. While none of the remaining songs approach the imagination and drama of that first cut, there is still a lot to recommend in the remaining fourteen (!) tracks. As an aside, I think that filling this album with seventy-plus minutes of music virtually ensures that it will wear out its welcome, even if the music is good (which it mostly is). However, I'm aware how many people these days judge quantity as well as quality when sizing up a CD for purchase. My preference for the "less is more" approach is probably the minority opinion. The only other albums that come to my mind in how an acoustic guitar (as well as MacCallum's flute) is integrated with overt synthesizers (as opposed to those used only for subtle coloring effects) are the self-titled debut from the duo Within and Peter Xifaras' Apassionato. What Torchlight Creek brings to the party, though, is MacCallum's adroit flute playing, which also sometimes conveys subtle Native American flavors, such as on "January Morrow." Another aspect of Two Moons I enjoyed was Hill's sure-handed approach to layering in his synth strings, never overpowering the music, and also knowing how much to let the rhythms (be they electronic or sampled trap kit drums) be present in the mix. "Moonlight Stare" exemplifies what I'm referring to, as the drums are placed back in the mix, so that the dramatic melody, handled by the flute and adorned with guitar, are not overtaken by the beat. Also, the synth strings are applied as embellishment; they're never audacious or strident. Hill sometimes dramatically morphs a song, as he did on the first track, so that a cut like "Words of the Ancient" begins in a haze of mysterious synths and electronic keyboards and slowly builds in intensity as he adds bass drum beats and more keyboards, ending up crafting a catchy slice of electronica, yet still possessing an undercurrent of shadowy keyboards playing minor tones, accompanied by digital piano. Other selections, such as "Wax Rain," pretty much find a mood and stay put (in this case, the mood is forlorn and somewhat sad, carried by a wooden flute melody, assorted synths, and a slow tempo snare/bass/cymbal kit rhythm). Hill's ambition sometimes gets the best of him, but that's to be expected perhaps in an album this lengthy. "Glass Tears" is somewhat over the top in its quest for maudlin emotion. "Symphonia De Nocturne Apocalyptica" is too much strum und drang for me - a few touches in the song work well, but overall the piece tends to derail what with its oppressive mood and neo-classical aspirations. Two Moons will appeal to fans of new age music that combines electronic keyboards with acoustic guitar and flute in evocative, almost cinematic soundscapes. In some ways, Hill seems to be inspired partly by David Arkenstone, partly by Eric Tingstad and partly by Nicholas Gunn, since I hear elements of all three artists on this CD. It's a unique combination and, to the artists' credit, they seldom stumble and sometimes soar with material that is solid from both a compositional standpoint as well as being recorded with a high degree of quality for a "home grown" work. Other than the length and a few weak cuts, Two Moons is a promising debut and gains bonus points for avoiding the common pitfalls that others usually fall into. |
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