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review by Bill Binkelman Electronic keyboard artist Bill McGee (who releases albums under the alias Composure) continues to improve, both technically and artistically, and his latest recording, One Time Around, is his best and most professional recording to date. Operating in the realm of contemporary electronic music (the subgenre where electronic keyboards are used in the service of more traditionally structured contemporary instrumentals, as opposed to ambient, and also being more accessible than new age music), McGee's writing skills display more maturity with little trace of amateurism or cliché. He is one of only a handful of artists who inhabit this particular niche of instrumental music, which was (arguably) one of the starting points of new age music back in the days of Private Music and the Narada Mystique sub-label. I, for one, am glad people like Bill McGee and a few of his contemporaries (e.g. Richard Scott Schilling, Michael Walthius, Shirley Cason, Frank Van Bogaert, and Anthony Baskey, to name just a few) are composing in this somewhat forgotten subgenre. McGee starts the album off with what may be the best track, "RA" a sunshower of sparkling bell and chime tones, gently pulsing rhythms, and shimmering textures. "Burning Sands" veers into highly dramatic territory with pounding tom tom and snare drums, booming bass male chorales, and chugging undercurrents of synths. "Departure" is another winner, cut from classic new age music cloth with its midtempo beats, plinking notes, and swirling assortment of keyboards, all dressed up in an overall sense of cheeriness without any faux sentimentality. McGee uncovers a new side, showing he is adept at a more "modern" sound, on the chill-out number "An Opened Door," (okay, maybe THIS is the best track on the album!). Lush strings in a minor key float along underneath Fender Rhodes-like piano while snappy beats lend the track that modernistic touch. The artist returns to one of his "trademark" sounds (that of a plucked/strummed guitar) on "Dark Skies," which, despite its name, is quite pretty and not at all "dark." Besides the guitar-like sound, the track features delicate synth harp and well-layered washes of other keyboards. Few albums are perfect, and admittedly here and there McGee shows that he still has a few things to learn. "Sunset Eyes" is weighed down by some muddiness in the mix and a rather pedestrian blend of keyboards, as well as the only weak drum programming on the CD. The artist recovers nicely on "Appearance" which begins with spacemusic-like starshowers of twinkling synths and evolves into a cut driven by percolating beats. The album closes with a nod and wink as McGee brings out the high quality cheese with "Vixen," a song designed to put a smile on your face with its uptempo in-your-face lounge-sexiness (actually, I think the cut rocks, but I have a sense of humor, unlike a lot of critics of the music). One Time Around could still stand to be tweaked by an expert mastering engineer (I think the levels are low on some tracks and the high end can suffer as a result), but his music is now at the point where this less of a concern than on previous releases. Tracks like "RA," "Departure," and "An Open Door," are the sign of an accomplished, self-assured and talented composer. As a result, if you like melodic keyboard music, I recommend One Time Around as a solid addition to your collection. |
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