Wind
and
Wire
Dancing in the Desert
is Richard's second album, apparently taking a more
electronic approach than previously. He cites artists such
as Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, and Tangerine Dream as being
influences, as well as classical and pop/dance. Thankfully
this is not a derivative album though, it has a definite
style of its own. The short(ish) tracks are
generally light and uplifting, with occasional shifts to a
reflective mood. What strikes this reviewer is the emphasis
on melodies which are often repeated to good effect. I like
all kinds of electronic music from "out there" spacemusic to
rip roaring Berlin school barnstormers, but what I probably
appreciate above all else is a good melody that sticks in my
mind. Dancing in the Desert delivers those. Listening
to this album I was most reminded of John Kerr who is
another musician that has a knack for creating relatively
simple yet wonderful melodies. In the opening track,
"Arrival," a breezy melody, using a piano effect, performs
over percussion, and later on a beat too. Play this and you
can imagine someone unselfconsciously dancing in the desert
because they feel happy. Following on from this is an
example of the switch to a reflective mood. In "Desert
Flower," a gentle melody is complemented by various synth
pads; then the mood becomes more expansive as though
expressing the emergence of a flower, and finally we return
to how it started and finish off with synth-style wind
effects. For the next eight tracks
the mood stays mainly upbeat with some new melodies, and
some getting a reprise. The two final tracks are dance
remixes of "Arrival" and "Fight Back." Having dance remixes
is appropriate because of the pop and dance influences that
can be felt throughout the album. Although these influences
are there the album doesn't really cross over to pop music,
rather it makes it accessible to a wider
audience. This is an album to play
when you feel happy or want to lift your mood. review by
Dene
Bebbington
British electronic keyboard player Richard Amos has recently released his second album, Dancing in the Desert, and, for me, the CD is a whole lotta fun - with a capitol "F!" If you can resist the bubbly synths, '80s synth-pop drum programming, and joyful piano of the opening track, "Arrival," you have more self-control than I do. Describing the music herein as grin-inducing is putting it mildly. Those percolating synths, the bumpa-bumpa-bumpa drums, the swirling keyboards, the ethereal choruses - well, damn! What else would you want from an EM song? And that's just the beginning here. Varying from warmly nostaligc and romantic softer piano and synth "new age music" numbers to more uptempo, cheerful excursions into instrumental synth-pop (think Jarre but without his tendency to noodling) and even some forays into quasi-Berlin territory, Amos comports himself with equal amounts of talent, heart, and skill. Frankly, I loved listening to this album many times before writing this review. I especially never tired of the more "bouncy" tunes, such as "Falling for You" with its simple yet pleasant piano/keyboard refrain, ethereal female choral effects, snappy drum programming, and assorted synths flying hither and yon, or "Fight Back" which builds slowly before erupting in a series of high-hats, bass beats, and piano amid the lush synths. Of course, the slower tracks here include some beauts too. "Desert Flower" has a weirdly spacy start, but turns out to be a somewhat sad new age music, featuring delicate bells and synth strings (played with remarkable restraint, considering the genre and how most artists fall into overkill with their strings) and even some later moments of near Vangelis-like drama. "Mirage" begins by sounding like Larry Kucharz's ambient choral work, but eventually morphs into a jazzier midtempo beat-driven new age meets synth-pop vein with piano and synths working in good unison. But it's the fast numbers here that make me hit the "repeat" button on my CD player most often. From the affirming percussion-and-synth fest of "Embrace" to "Survivor" and its happy-go-lucky twinkling bells, percolating Berlin beats, and melodic piano refrains, one track after the other on Dancing in the Desert is delightful - pure and simple. Nothing here is ostentatious, showy, pretentious, or heavy-handed. Yet, Amos does not just record superficial pap, either. The music is well-crafted, well-engineered and full of life and sincerity. Amos just happens to depend more on hooks, refrains, and catchiness than most ambient, new age, or Berlin school artists usually do. By the way, although this is actually not a "dance" CD, per se (except for two techno-paced remixes at the end of the album), my suggestion is to cut loose, play the hell out of this snazzy and positive-energy recording and do your own little dance in any "desert" you please. It's all about celebration on the faster cuts, so find something to be happy about, put this one in the player, and dance away! Highly recommended! review by Bill Binkelman |