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review by Bill Binkelman This is the first CD I have heard from pianist/keyboardist Vince Madison, but it is his sixth release. After one playing, I can see why he has apparently garnered some level of success with his music. He is a technically adroit yet passionate and emotionally sincere composer and performer whose music literally epitomizes that particular subgenre of piano/keyboard adult contemporary music that walks the line between commercial accessibility/radio friendliness and new age music sensibility and melodicism. As such, this album is a winner from the first track to the last, provided that you enjoy warm, romantic, and sentimental "heart on your sleeve" music. The thirteen songs on the album cut a narrow but varied swath of moods, tempos, and instrumentation (thanks to contributions from cellist Hannah Alkire's talents on several tracks as well as Vic Garcia, who appears on one cut playing acoustic guitar). In many reviews through the years, I have made mention that one talent I greatly admire in a piano player is his/her skill in layering and applying synthesizer/electronic keyboard embellishments so as to be neither too minimal nor too excessive. This is one area where Madison excels and his mixture of acoustic piano with a variety of keyboard textures, orchestrations, and new age sounds is exemplary, a literal textbook of what to do and how to do it. Take "One Rainy Night" as an example. Starting off with plucked guitar samples and hushed chorales, the main piano melody flows from this opening with simplicity and grace. The assorted components merge into a melancholic, soft and warm composition that balances a hopeful sense of optimism with the darker aspects of the song. "Canyonlands" is another terrific piece, this time with Madison applying some muted bass synth rhythms and subtle but effective strings, eliciting mystery and a certain haunting quality to the slow-tempo of the song. The later addition of majestic chorale voices (placed well back in the mix, though) and the varying of synth strings from plucked to bowed adds yet another dimension to the piece, as does the contributions from talented cellist Alkire. "Sanctum" is a textbook application of more overtly new agey synthesizers to the lead piano, this time in the service of a gently rolling melody that draws favorable comparison to Wayne Gratz's style. Madison's sampled horn (I'm guessing it's a cornet) is likewise exercised with care and restraint, displaying the artist's sense of taste and balance. Granted, some songs on the recording may come across as more "typical" of this subgenre of music (meaning less adventurous and more generic), such as the title tune. However, even in those cases, Madison's warm playing style and his likable refrains prove hard to resist. Alkire's cello, which is prominently featured on "Perfect Hearts," plays a big part in this song escaping its own the somewhat pedestrian nature. Likewsie, Vic Garcia's guitar on "If You Say You Will" paints the song in a southwestern motif, with distinct but subtle Spanish textures which are not truly nuevo flamenco-ish but do have that flavor to them. "Barefoot Summer" shows that Madison can expand his electronic keyboards to still more new age elements, this time twinkling bell tones, without descending into cliché or veering far away from the adult contemporary genre where his music more aptly belongs. Owing to Vince Madison's dexterous application of his synthesizers and his use of accompanists, as well as the rich warmth and hard-to-resist friendly appeal of his compositions and his solid piano playing itself, recommending this album is a sure thing if you are lover of romantic piano and electronic keyboard music. The more I played Perfect Hearts, the more I liked it and, even more importantly, the more impressed I became with the artist's composing maturity, artistic vision, and production skills. I easily give the album a "highly recommended" rating, especially for die-hard romantics. |
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