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review by Bill Binkelman Atlantis Lost is pianist Eric McCarl's second part of his planned Trilogy of Light solo piano recordings. It is a serious piece of work - mature, refined, even sophisticated, yet is also accessible and easy to get into, provided you're not a devoteé of piano that clings to "safe" new age music conventions. I wouldn't go as far as to say this is challenging, but I would say that the casual listener of piano music may find this music too demanding of his/her attention. That attention, if paid to the fifteen selections on the album, will be rewarded with a listening experience filled with darker, more subdued emotional pieces for the most part. I would call this a "cloudy afternoon" recording, as with more than a few tracks a person in a sunny mood might feel like the music was actually dimming the mood, so to speak. Myself, I enjoy melancholy and somber music a lot, so I found the reflective and sedate numbers here to my liking. Songs like "Prophecy," while not sad or dark, have a bittersweet edge to them, and obviously a song titled "Lost at Sea" is not going to be cheery or uplifting. However, the latter actually carries a hint of hope in the refrain, almost as if being adrift in the ocean contained an element of serenity and acceptance, if not even transformative knowledge. "Far Away," which closes the album, is like surrendering oneself to a reflective mood, not caring if the remembrances will be sad ones, but embracing the humanity that regret can trigger in one's being. Several songs on Atlantis Lost are real workouts, being over seven minutes long (the title track and "Tell Me Why"). Yet, it's on these longer pieces that McCarl reveals his artistry in very patiently telling his musical "story." I particularly like the sparse minimalism of "Atlantis Lost" which alternates between powerful explorations of a given theme and quiet meanderings that sound more improvisatory. "Victoria" (named for a loved one or a city? who knows?) is bathed in a warm nostalgic glow, like a candle in a cabin window on a chilly night glimpsed as one approaches after a walk through snow-filled woods. Rather than detail any more tracks, I'll simply conclude by stating this is an exceptional solo piano release and deserves your consideration if that instrument is a favorite of yours. It's filled with music for "thinking romantics," meaning people whose emotions are not easily captured in a Hallmark card verse but yet can appreciate the inherent natural beauty of a Terry Redlin nature painting. I count myself among those folks and I recommend Atlantis Lost to any who share my love of simple sophistication in music. |
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