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review by Bill Binkelman On this, his fourth "faerie" music recording, Gary Stadler pulls back from the reliance on electronic keyboards of his earlier releases and emphasizes the sounds of acoustic instruments, not just at his own hands but also those of guest artists Lisa Lynne on Celtic harp, Dr. Harold Grandstaff Moses on viola, Bruce Lawrence on guitar, and Sandy Schieffer and Tiffany Snow on background vocals. Stadler himself plays grand piano, guitar, cello, string bass, acoustic bass guitar, and some sparse synthesizers. The result is music that is a tad warmer and more genteel than his previous three recordings, although all of those were also fine releases. Reflections of Faerie has less of an ethereal quality and more of a renaissance/early music/classical feel at times. Of course, the songs are still wonderfully soft and peaceful pieces that invite repose and reflection, a stilling of the heart and quieting of the soul. You'll hear these qualities right away on the first track, "Spinneee," which opens with Jon Mark-like lush keyboards and delicate harp, with piano eventually taking over the lead on a flowing melodic refrain. "Lullaby" is even softer and more romantic, with an unhurried pace to the piano and harp and a certain sadness to the music. Piano is more predominant than harp (and there sounds like some guitar mixed in there too). In fact, piano is frequently the showcased instrument. Stadler displays a masterful light touch with good command of phrasing and nice balance between upper and lower registers. The overall mood of the CD is placid, calm, restrained, yet filled with a simple beauty and an unassuming charm. As I mentioned earlier, there is less of a "magical" texture to the music, and I think it's mostly due to the lack of overtly electronic effects. I guess you could call this "faerie unplugged" if you wanted to be glib about it. However, I'm inclined to instead judge this to be a more refined musical statement, not so much because the music is softer, but because by stripping away the ethereal aspect of the faerie kingdom, Stadler has revealed a more earthbound majesty and subtle sense of awe. Production and engineering (by the artist) is technically very good, if a little on the bland side, although this may be by design owing to the simpler nature of the instrumentation. Don't get me wrong; this is obviously a professional effort and there is nothing amiss here. For some reason, I think it could "sparkle" a bit more, but that may just be my individual taste. . The only caveat I would offer on this fine CD is that fans of Stadler's first two "faerie" recordings (Faerie of the Woods and Faerie Nightsongs) might find themselves missing the electronic keyboards and the whole "Enya-esque" type of sound. By contrast, piano fans should enjoy the album a lot, as many times it is that instrument which carries the lead line and does most of the melodic work. There are touches here and there of "deep dark woods" mystical music, as on "Reflections" (a song that features most of the instruments listed in the liner notes), but for the most part, it's a sparser and less overtly dramatic recording than previous releases from Stadler. Just the same, the calm inherent in these gentle melodies and the peace that permeates them should offer stress relief in abundance to souls wearied by this modern world. |
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