After The Storm
Jeffrey Michael
www.fireheartmusic.com
888-534-0218
I shouldn’t go here, but I’m going to – this CD suffers from really bad digital photography. Michael’s face and body look out of proportion on the back, and the picture on the back of the inside appears blotchy and horribly low-res. Blond, wispy-haired Jeffrey, a composer of soothing piano instrumentals, recorded his first album in high school and sold over 5,000; a remarkable feat by any standards, and went on to compose for various TV shows and movies. His music even pops up on some video games – a market many of us might overlook and shouldn’t.
While After The Storm is soothing and evocative one piece at a time – and some catchy melodies to boot – it lacks variety and it started to wear on me as a whole entity. We’re treated to a barrage of 8th notes that underlay practically every song from the beginning of track one until the CD ends almost an hour later.
The standout song here is “Beyond the Horizon.” The following track, “The Storm,” takes his familiar moto-perpetuo to a minor key, and could benefit from a bit more variety in its performance – dynamics, accenting… if it’s a storm, pound those keys, boy! The album ends with “The Dreamer’s Waltz,” Michael’s first composition at age 11. Now he’s in his late 20s, it’s time for him to expand upon his talents.
Click here to return to Reviews Archives
