Sacred River
by Gandalf
Real Music
I was a little afraid to play Sacred River simply because I liked his last CD so much I didn’t think this could possible measure up. And yeah, it’s the “same ol’ stuff,” and interestingly enough, even better than before.
Why? I’m not sure, but he’s taking a lot of the good ideas from Colors of a New Dawn and doing different things with them, different enough that this Sacred River is worth diving into.
Austrian born, but well traveled. Gandalf takes his cue CD this CD from the book Siddhartha, suggesting you let this music guide you across the Sacred River, just like Sid learned from his ferryman to listen to the sounds and harmony of the water.
Some cool songs… “Blossom Falling Like Snow,” sort of a rolling guitar solo, “Where the River Joins the Ocean,” the last piece on here, a stunning anthem-like piece… honestly I don’t really know which is which, I just sort of put it on and let it play. That’s the best review I can give it, is I’ve kept it in my car for weeks, on repeat.
What works are various orchestrations which let him shine on a host of instruments and keep the sonic landscape changing. Also it’s not “just play in the background like a lot of new age,” but you can pay attention and it takes you somewhere, makes you feel something. Peaceful synth chords roll through the whole album. Like “here’s a chord progression, and nothing need be said over it.” The end… the simple journey to a quiet resolution, justifies the means, the courage of doing very little to achieve it.
hear clips here
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