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The Sounding Board by R J Lannan |
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RJ Lannan is the reviewer for The Sounding Board. |
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| In the Wake |
| By Ann Sweeten |
| Label: Orange Band Records |
| Released 2/14/2012 |
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| In the Wake tracks |
1. Was It Yesterday?
2. Falling Leaves
3. Metamorphosis
4. Love Remembered
5. A Chance For Goodbye
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6. In The Wake
7. On Wings Of Light
8. Out Of Embers
9. The Abyss
10. October Sky
11. Now, And Again
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In Calm's Deep |
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The title of Ann Sweeten's new album gave me pause. In The Wake conjured several scenarios for me. I could be pulled along by the wake of something else. Or I could find myself in turbulent waters by the disturbance of something in front of me. But my best concept was one where something in front of me parts the waves and allows me to be safe and buoyant and make my own way. Ann's new recording suggests all of these scenarios and more. Her piano tunes have been winning awards for many years and her compositions just keep getting more and more pensive. This album I played on a rainy day and it was obvious that it had mood altering properties. Many of the contemporary tunes were solo piano while others had light accompaniment by Trisha Craig on flute, Akane Setiwan on English horn, Andrew Eng on Violin, Liz Ehrman on cello. Additionally, on In The Wake, Ann has taken on the added responsibility of not only composer and musician, but co-producer as well giving musical life to the term multi-tasking.
Was It Yesterday? is an instrumental destined to be a nostalgic tune full of memories, "what ifs?" and "remember when?". The melody is like dark chocolate, bittersweet, yet oh so satisfying. With this song it is easy to look back on the first walk in the park; remember it misted so hard we got soaked?, the beach picnic and that little brown sand crab and the walk up the aisle when a broke my heel? You can install your own memories and the music would still be perfect.
The title tune, In the Wake, had a lazy cadence, an informality that was welcoming. Ann's composition is framed with pale, blue skies, salty air and the wind on your skin. The tune itself is calming and steadying. It represents a channel of safety and maybe even a path to follow if need be.
We are always on the lookout for the phoenix moment in our lives. A time when the tide turns and things get a little better. Sometimes it is a long wait. Out of Embers is the sentimental backdrop for just such a moment.
It is a wake up and discover moment, a turn of the page and a true instance of hope. Perhaps that is all anyone is ever looking for. A little hope.
A Chance for Goodbye had a sense of melancholy that was not surprising. The muted cello echoed sadly as the piano tune unfolded. The feeling of sorrow and loss is strong in the tune, and Ann delivers a story song that would feel at home in a gray sky, a cold blustery time when most shadows of the past disappear.
The title of The Abyss drew me in and I wanted to know what the musician felt at the nadir of the relationship. How many times in all our lives have we been at a point when even looking up is painful. Sweeten's tune is an intricate riff of sadness and loss of hope. Where is the light of day when you need it?
The album finishes with the song Now, And Again a statement that although she has moved on, she cannot help but occasionally think back on what was. Perhaps there is a hint of smile when that thought of a sunny afternoon and the sail boat is remembered, but somehow it is overshadowed by an unrelenting sense of loss.
There is a melancholy air to the whole album. There is nothing wrong with that as it helps us to appreciate all the sunny tunes that preceded. It is impossible to appreciate a sunny day until you’ve had a succession of leaden skies and disappointments. Ann Sweeten musically provide a sense of balance. Life is turbulent, get a good boat. |
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Rating: Good +  |
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- reviewed by RJ Lannan on 9/21/2012 |
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