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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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| Delightful Voyages |
| By David Findlay |
| Label: Self Released |
| Released 2/15/2007 |
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| Delightful Voyages tracks |
1. Sailing Together
2. Wind Song
3. Treasures
4. Over Here, Over There
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5. Eee Yah
6. Wake Up Call
7. Black Moon
8. From Above
9. Daveoh's Lullabye
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Take a Door, Any Door |
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If there is one thing David Findlay does on his new album Delightful Voyages it is that he gives the listener choices. Even the cover art features a number of doors for you to travel through to begin your experience. His music provides the medium by which the encounter becomes completely successful, but I never had a doubt. Granted the overall feel to the music reflects David's vast experience in film music. However, the themes are laid back and harmonious. This is music for flights of fancy where the atmospheres are rarefied and the visions colorful. I enjoyed every track on Delightful Voyages even though at first I thought the title was a little, ah…corny. After hearing and appreciating it, the title is perfect.
David Findlay did McGill University proud by attaining degrees in Music on a Bachelor and Master level. Ah, those plucky Canadians. He is trained as a multi-instrumentalist, but his device of choice for this album is the piano accompanied by various inorganic musicians. When he doesn't sleep at all, he not only composes music, but also produces feature films. Delightful Voyages is a brilliant work to say the least.
Sailing from Vancouver to Nanaimo on a cloudy day, with the wind stirred up but not angry lets you snap and billow like the sheets of canvas that propel you. The music for your journey is called Sailing Together. Dave's piano is the water beneath the prow and the cello is the gusty wind that takes you without a care to the point. Hey, you beat the ferry!
Over Here, Over There is a dandelion parasol on a summer breeze. The piano score is light, free and positively cheerful. You can see the wispy white clouds roll by and the dogwood petals fall in a flurry as the spring afternoon meanders by. This is a very uplifting tune full of sparkling music.
I don't use the term much, but this is a veritable chill out song. Eee Yah puts me in mind of a John Adorney song, which is a good thing. It is one of those songs that use a repeated phrase throughout. This a soothing song that flows like a gentle waterfall over moss covered rocks. The music has a wonderful mixture of flow, light and sound. It is almost a fairy song and one of my favorites on Delightful Voyages.
Black Moon starts off sounding like the breathing of a musical entity. The bass track is stronger on this than most and the score is almost like a bubble shower of twinkling sound. The music is an eclipse of sound that travels across the heavens to bring you solace from the stress of everyday life.
From Above features seraphic voices and sweet music that is very peaceful. David's piano is a gentle shepherd to the pastoral melody. To believe in something greater that yourself is a comfort to many and in this music there is a kind of affirmation of faith. The music is a bit different from the rest of the album and I think this is what sets it apart as the best track.
Delightful Voyages is an album that you can put in the player, press repeat and never get tired of what you are hearing. If you haven't heard of David Findlay yet, you will. His ambient creations are full of sunny days made for dream sailing and moonlit nights- perfect for sharing and occasions when you want to be passed up by the demands of time. Findlay's music is a portable soundtrack to everyday living. I highly recommend his album.
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Rating: Excellent  |
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- reviewed by RJ Lannan on 4/14/2007 |
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