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Review by Bill Binkelman I'm of two minds when I evaluate Richard Amos' newest CD, Breathe... One part of me thinks it's great that he has branched out from his cheery synth-pop instrumental motif to include more drifting ambient/new age floating soundscapes. However, I also miss the catchy and "fun" tunes that made previous releases Dancing in the Desert and Tears and Joy so enjoyable and easy to digest. Which is not to say that Breathe... is difficult going. Far from it, as the tunes here frequently float on waves of soft warm washes of synthesizers, somewhat akin to artists like Liquid Mind. And the bouncy rhythmic synth-driven EM magic is still here on a few cuts: the rave-up title track and its re-mix as well as the frenetic quasi-Berlin tune "End of the Tunnel." There is also a subdued but still rhythmic slice of retro EM meets electronica (the somewhat somber "Computer Feeling"). However, the main thrust of the CD focuses on Amos shifting gears into a more dreamy blend of floating ambient/spacemusic and warm "classic" electronic new age music. From the hushed chorales of the opening "Open Sky" which hover over smooth washes of keyboards in subdued dramatic fashion, to the aptly named "Float Away" (which evokes the strongest comparison to Liquid Mind, as undulating waves of chorales gently drift across a pale blue sky), Amos must want his listeners to calm down and relax, which you will doubtless feel compelled to do when listening to the CD (e.g. the warm whooshing spaciness of "In Too Deep" or the neo-classic/new age stylings of "Lionheart" with lush strings and synth woodwinds). In addition, Amos also mixes in some piano-led instrumentals, featuring the acoustic keyboard and some synth accompaniment, e.g. the nostalgic, reflective "Leaving" and the romantic "French Dream." On the downside, he also includes two outright vocal tracks ("I See You" and the title track) plus one that incorporates spoken-word vocals as a sort of "narration" to a new age style soundscape of floating synths and the sound of waves crashing on the beach ("Talking in my Sleep"). If you like overly earnest lyrics and singing, along the lines of Gary Wright's album Dream Weaver, you won't object to "I See You" and "Breathe." Personally, I program them out of the rotation or hit the "skip forward" button when I play the CD. I seldom, if ever, question why an artist does something like this, so I'll leave it at that except to state that I feel the album would've been better without them. That criticism notwithstanding, Breathe... amply demonstrates Amos' considerable talent for a more fluid style of spacemusic/ambient compositions, moreso than I would have suspected. Once I got past my disappointment (based on my fondness for Dancing in the Desert), I appreciated how skillful he was at these other genres. I'm grateful he included some of the "old stuff" along with the new types of music, because he's near the top of the heap in the subgenre of lightweight but thoroughly enjoyable synth-pop EM instrumentals. I have no problem whatsoever recommending the album to new age music and spacemusic fans, provided they realize they are not getting an album that is consistently in either genre. Rhythmic EM lovers will find less here to indulge in, but many people who like beats also enjoy rhythmless synths too. The vocal tracks are a matter of individual taste, so take 'em or leave 'em. In conclusion, there's no sense denying Amos' talent. The man can play a mean keyboard, whether he's floating through space or riding a bullet train across Europe! |
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