Artists | Issues | CD Reviews | Interviews | Concert Reviews | DVD/Video Reviews | Book Reviews | Who We Are | Staff | Home
 
Non-Prog CD Reviews

Colin Bracewell

Valley

Review by Gary Hill

This new EP has an interesting blend of sounds. There is a lot of modern pop music, some R&B, moody dreamscapes, art music and more. It's all blended together into a stew that seems unique and intriguing. I'm not completely taken by it, but it definitely has its charms and shining moments.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2021  Volume 5. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2021.

Track by Track Review
The Cage
Drums that sound artificial open the cut. The track works out from there to a soulful kind of groove that has some tasty R&B music merged with a tasty classic rock vibe. There are some cool moods and charms to this number. When it powers to a harder rocking arrangement that it really gels so well. This is a strong opener that bodes well for things to come.
Not Today
Coming in more balladic, this works out to another pop rock arrangement with plenty of dreamy charm. This is moody and drops to acapella or near acapella zones at times.
Let Me In
The opening on this is heavily processed, but it works in creating a tone and mood. There is a symphonic sort of vibe, and an unusual start and stop effect on that initial section. The cut works out from there, turning into more of an R&B, modern pop based arrangement. While the opening movement of this seems to a little lost at times to me, this really works out to some potent music as it gets more powered up. It turns back to more sparsely arranged stuff at the end, again losing me just a little, but not as much as the intro did.
Page
Intricate mellower sounds bring this into being. A rather balladic number, this has plenty of that modern R&B based pop sound in play. There is a moody, dreamy edge to the tune. This isn't bad, but it seems a little lackluster to me.
In the Valley
There is more of an exploratory texture to this cut. It has a bit of an art music edge, but also plenty of that R&B thing at play. While this moody track has its charms, it is not one of my favorites here.
  
More CD Reviews
Metal/Prog Metal
Non-Prog
Progressive Rock
  
Google

   Creative Commons License
   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
    © 2024 Music Street Journal                                                                           Site design and programming by Studio Fyra, Inc./Beetcafe.com