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The duo who call themselves anewday (Rob Miller: piano and composer and Ron Huestis: orchestrations, i.e. keyboards and rhythm programming) take a step forward on their second CD, Summer Reflections, an obvious improvement in both production quality and music composition itself from their debut release. Unlike that first CD, Autumn Musings, melodies are catchier and more varied and some of the overblown melodrama has been toned down (as well as the over emphasis in the mix of snare drums which really bugged me with their earlier album). As a result, the album now merits a "recommended" status from me, although I would still like to see production and engineering turned over to someone else who can work some magic on the details. However, as a sophomore effort, I was, to be honest, quite impressed with the progress they have made.
Stylistically, I suppose the easiest comparison to make would be to Yanni or artists like him, i.e. piano and keyboard-anchored instrumental music with a full orchestral sound and mainstream approaches to melody and rhythms. However, anewday stretch themselves musically more than Yanni ever did. Witness the gently pealing pedal steel guitar on Solstice, which melds with the romantic piano in the lead, forming a unique hybrid to say the least. Early Rising (probably my favorite track on the album) is another nice diversion from the norm, this time featuring kalimba against a lush blend of drums, guitar, woodwinds, and strings. In fact, this cut sounds like it could have been lifted from Hans Zimmer's soundtrack to Rainman (meant as a huge compliment). Connecting the dots to Yanni is easy, though, on tracks like the closing Whispering Streams with its plaintive piano opening which builds to a crescendo-esque mixture of keyboards, trap drums, and orchestral strings, bursting with drama and unrestrained power. Not necessarily my cup o' tea, but, as I referenced earlier, they are getting better at this particular musical motif.
There are some true gaffes, though. The oddly-titled Solar Moons, (the title of which, for me, evokes a melancholic, delicate piece) explodes with militaristic snare beats, crashing cymbals, and a less-than-pleasing trumpet solo in the lead. If I were pressed to title this tune, it'd be A Call to Arms (but I don’t think it should even be on the CD, to be honest). Another oddity, not so much for the music as the gonzo juxtaposition of the title with the music is the tongue-twisting Astronomical Convolutions which, instead of the quirk-laced electronica or somber spacemusic I was expecting, I instead heard a classical influenced slice of neo-romanticism, sweet and sincere, morphing from solo piano to full orchestra.
At its best, Summer Reflections illustrates that Miller and Huestis both have more than enough talent to make memorable and enjoyable music, i.e. they "get it", at least some of the time. Tracks like Place of Solitude (gentle piano with new age keyboard accents and strings for background coloring) and the too-short Reverie (piano, string and guitar), as well a few others previously mentioned, show they are getting closer to crafting something special. The two artists are currently working on their third CD, Spring Revival, (apparently, the seasons influence them, but based on the music, this influence doesn’t seem to translate into the music itself, per se). If their third effort continues their progress, I'm looking forward to hearing it. But, I do hope they think their song titles through a little better next time!
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