Rainshadow Sky
Dan | 02/28/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A musician's musician, Jeff Pearce has quietly entered the minds, hearts and souls of listeners for a while now and has made infinitely profound impressions in the process. As anyone can tell by reading the editorial description above, Pearce has won much critical acclaim and seems to be the rare breed of musician who is consistently and rightfully recognized for the purity and complexity of his musicianship. Gently lifting, insightful, and deeply introspective, Rainshadow Sky is another step in the fascinating evolution of an amazing musician.
I discovered Jeff Pearce one night while listening to Audio Visions on XM radio. I later discovered the track came from the album "Bleed" which was recorded during his revolutionary "guitar synth" phase. (Pearce's first few solo albums consisted of him performing guitar music which sounds like a synthesizer due to incredibly creative effects processing; for the record, it is an amazing tone which practically reinvents the sound of the instrument). After some research I found his album Lingering Light on Amazon and purchased it immediately. Lingering Light is the beginning of a another brilliant musical fork in the road so to speak for Jeff Pearce in that the music on that album as well as his latest effort Rainshadow Sky is performed almost exclusively on the Chapman Stick. (By the way, the Chapman Stick is a multi-stringed instrument with the range of both guitar and bass and is tapped instead of plucked. Check out www.stick.com to learn more about this amazing instrument.)
Having played guitar for many years now I can't help but make a couple of comparisons to what he is doing on the Chapman Stick to what is done on guitar. For example, I would say tonally speaking Rainshadow Sky has a "Fender Stratocaster" tone to it while his previous album Lingering Light has more of a "Les Paul" tone. In other words, the tone he gets from the Chapman Stick on Lingering Light has a darker tone, whereas the tone used on Rainshadow Sky is a brighter tone. For instance, if one were to compare the track "A Secret to Hide" which is found on both albums, it is easy to hear the difference in tone. For those of us who appreciate the tones of both the Les Paul and the Strat, we realize that they have their own unique and inherent beauties and the same could be said of these albums too.
Overall Rainshadow Sky has an exceptionally meditative and contemplative feel. Tracks such as "Autumn Clouds" and "The Last Warm Day in October" have the ability very easily take the listener to many inner worlds with repeated listening. There are even some overtly moody and melancholy songs such as "Sorrow in Spring", "Hope's Last Whisper", and "Through Tears" which, at first reading of the titles, sound like they might be real downers but these songs are so achingly and attractively beautiful that they seem to express a very perceptible sense of healing in the face of suffering.
Okay, I'm trying to be objective while writing this review but I can't help but say I absolutely love every song on this album. However, there are standouts on Rainshadow Sky. I absolutely love "Night Path". Why? I can't say. It just speaks to me in so many intangible ways. When I first purchased this album and made it to this song I think I must have listened to it ten times in a row. Afterwards I found myself waking up in the middle of the night with that song floating around in my head. Another cool song on this album is "Deluge" due to Pearce`s impeccable use of digital delay. I tend to be a `visual' listener when I listen to music so it seems, at least to me, as if this song gives the listener the impression that it is raining.
Earlier I mentioned how Pearce's tone has changed from album to album and I probably should also mention that his use of effects processing on Rainshadow Sky takes cues from his past efforts and moves forward into new territory as well. As with his earlier efforts, effects such as reverb, delay and modulation are utilized both overtly and subtly with wonderful results. The aforementioned tracks "Night Path" and "Deluge" make use of digital delay to great effect, and for some reason the tracks using digital delay on this album seem to stand out to me; much like the reverb effect stands out on Lingering Light. Another perfect example is "Harvest Storms", which takes the listener back to his "synth" tone. Again, the liberal use of expansive reverbs, long delays and sweeping volume swells significantly alters his tone and makes for an immensely dreamy and evocative mental soundtrack. In fact, this song (like many of his other songs) should be on a movie soundtrack due to it`s epic quality.
Rainshadow Sky by Jeff Pearce is an amazing album. Pearce's music transcends any categories and becomes an expressive and personal statement in the process, which of course, at least in my humble opinion, is the sign of a great artist. If you haven't listened to this album or any other album by Jeff Pearce, then I strongly recommend everyone to take a moment to put on some headphones and enter into his magnificently tranquil world.
"
'ALBUM OF THE YEAR' ... WITHOUT QUESTION
Steven H. Propp | Sacramento, CA USA | 06/24/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album won the "Album of the Year" award from NewAgeReporter.com (a broadcaster-selected award, for a website dedicated to the New Age music industry) over such albums as Will Ackerman's "Meditations," and it's easy to see why.
The album is played "live," taken from a series of "house concerts" Jeff played in 2007 and 2008; however, the music was recorded directly into his computer, so there are no "audience sounds" (e.g., people coughing, shifting around in their chairs, etc.), and we are getting the "best of both worlds" (i.e., "live," and "studio").
Amazingly, there are no overdubs; Jeff plays everything on his "Chapman Stick" (see: www.stick.com for info), which looks somewhat like a guitar fretboard, but can produce an amazing array of sounds (indluding "drums"!).
The compositions on the album are too diverse to simply "categorize": some pieces are soft, almost "solo guitar" pieces (reminiscent of early Windham Hill), whereas other pieces (such as the wonderful title piece, my favorite) create a darkened, yet gentle ambiance suggestive of, well, the cover photo: Thick, yet not ominous, clouds, overlooking an immense open landscape.
Whether you're discovering Jeff Pearce's music for the first time, or continuing a long-term involvement with his music, this album is truly an excellent permanent addition to your library. (You should also check out his MySpace page: www.myspace.com/jeffpearcemusic)"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1