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review by Bill Binkelman What a wonderfully rich piano recording this is! It's really one of the better solo piano albums I've heard in a while, and one that gets better and better each time I listen to it. You'd expect a CD with the title Sweet Dreams & Starlight to be sappy, saccharine-coated, and laid back in the extreme. While there is no denying that this is a "nighttime" CD (best enjoyed in the "wee hours"), you'll be surprised at the complexity, the depth of emotion, and the myriad of styles on this sophisticated offering from David Nevue (this is his seventh release). There are more than a few moments where you may hear classical influences at work, but there are also subtle moments of jazz and, of course, plenty of mellow new age melodicism, too. I just love the opening title track which has a "dark" side to it, but not dark in a menacing way, more in a rich and nuanced fashion, where Nevue walks the line between wistfulness and romanticism. Nicely done! "Eden Again" is "spot on" loveliness, soflty playful and gentle even as its rolling rhythm unwinds. The refrain is particularly enjoyable on this song. The liner notes are lengthy and the artist writes about everything from the CD's cover photo shoot to how fatherhood has affected him and "Why starlight?" This glimpse into the inner workings of a sensitive and caring artist go a long ways to increasing one's enjoyment of the songs on Sweet Dreams & Starlight, or at least they had that effect on me. You also have to give bonus points to Nevue because he actually covers "Happy Together" (yes, that "Happy Together" by The Turtles) and talk about re-envisioning a piece of music! You will recognize it, but you won't believe it, especially the chorus! It's Nevue's more introspective pieces that affected me deepest, though, such as "Ursa Minor" which is sparse and minimal yet suffused with delicate beauty. "Across the Velvet Sea" is, surprisingly, somewhat morose and somber, even though it's also slightly uptempo, mostly owing to the lower register work that Nevue does at times. "Goodnight Moon" closes the album out in fine fashion, being one of the more sedate pieces here, yet still containing a flowing sense of movement and melody. This is really what Nevue is all about, i.e. uniting a strong sense of musicality with the nuance and complexity that one usually hears in more minimal piano music. I also heard this on Postcards from Germany, one of his earlier releases. It's what distinguishes him from some of the other players in this gerne. Sweet Dreams & Starlight will charm you and surprise you, as it did me, with its subtle sense of daring and also its instant approachability. It's one of the better recordings in this often over-exposed genre (new age solo piano music) in recent years and I highly recommend it to fans of this type of music. |
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