 |
 |
|
 |
|
The Sounding Board by R J Lannan |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RJ Lannan is the reviewer for The Sounding Board. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| October |
| By Matthew Labarge |
| Label: Cynelic Gast Music |
| Released 8/28/2009 |
|
| October tracks |
1. first light
2. sunrise
3. wedding waltz
4. leaves dancing
5. prelude ever after
6. songs kids playing
|
7. prelude clouds roll in
8. cold wind
9. prelude flurries
10. over such beauty
11. never so many colors
12. the sun sets earlier now
13. love song
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just Right |
|
|
|
|
|
Contemporary pianist Matthew LaBarge believes that music is a gift. It is something that should be passed around. Sort of like sound advice, like Christmas presents or perhaps like smiles from a happy child. He offers us October, his gift of music for the heart. After hearing the album, I must say that I am a willing recipient. The music has homespun warmth, breezy arrangements and passion filled melodies. October is a turning point in the seasons. The heat of summer wanes and the earth gives out a big yawn in anticipation of her annual winter sleep. Yet, there is still energy in the air. There is still the buzzing of life and we get busy ourselves. It that occasion that Matthew immortalizes in his music.
LaBarge wore all the hats on this album, from engineer, to producer to performer. It was a hard lesson learned for him as the weight of responsibility rested on his shoulders alone. Some say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but then accountability has a way of making you lose sleep and more. LaBarge probably lost a lot of sleep on this one, because the strength of the audio and the intricacy of the music amply display his inherent talents. He already was a noteworthy pianist.
First Light over the mountains in October is a golden radiance ripe with promise. There are bountiful harvests to be made and colorful leaves to admire. It is a time to watch our productivity as the days diminish and winter's wind waits right over the horizon. Matthew's tune reminds us not to forget to celebrate our fortune. Not only will our bellies be filled, but our senses as well.
Speaking of celebrations, Matthew gives us the Wedding Waltz. Like the breeze that swirls the russet leaves on the ground, the music allows us to spin and turn in commemoration as two lives becoming one. The steps are at first tentative and then the joy of the moment becomes real and the
spirits, now one, flies free.
It was a blustery day when I wrote this and the perfect song began called Cold Wind. It was introduced like a number of tunes on the album by a short prelude. This one is called Prelude (Clouds Rolling In). All the time Cold Wind played, I thought of a Russian folksong with that characteristic tragedy in the melody. As I listened I watched brown leaves skitter across the gravel path and in the darkening sky, the clouds thickened to the color of lead. It was ominous and a bit sad.
The next preface came on called Prelude (Flurries) adjunctive to the cut Over Such Beauty. Where I live, snow flurries are quite common and so is the beauty of the mountains. It starts out as a few iterant flakes drifting into view and then like a lacey curtain, the wind ushers in a bold, white display. There is a natural beauty to snow. The white covers everything with a clean blanket and the hush that falls over the landscape hangs like a silent blessing.
The Sun Sets Earlier Now is one of my favorites on the album. As a child growing up in the northeast, I was regulated by the setting of the sun. I had to be home before dark and as winter approached, my time became all too short. Matthew literally strikes a chord on this melancholy song that reminds me in the autumn of my life, my time is measured by the passing days.
Finally, Love Song finishes out the album. The melody rings out as already familiar as those in love have heard it in their hearts before. The music is an admission as much as a promise. The flowing melody is like candle wax on a romantic evening; at first providing a glowing bright flame and then spilling out and sealing the memories forever.
Although Matthew LaBarge offers this delightful album to the world as a gift, make no mistake about it. He wrote this music for someone. He was clever, but not clever enough. There are too many nuances, too many emotional riffs to hide it. Fortunately, love is a universal concept and we can all understand that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rating: Very Good  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- reviewed by RJ Lannan on 5/6/2010 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
