Search - Michael Gettel :: Key

A marvellous

Javi | Marbella, Spain | 08/06/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Key is an album with a very self-biographical feel. Pianist Michael Gettel and his ensemble musicians creates a very nice atmosphere full of serenity, feeling and a sense of adventure in every track. After a few listens you feel that's sort of the story of a spiritual search.The first track, 'The Waiting' is just a prelude to 'Turning of a Key', introducing its main melody. 'Turning' is a great opening to the album, expressing a lot of optimism and showing a great mixture of instruments together in an upbeat and fluent rythm.'Breaking the Silence' is a very original track with a very new agey-ethnic opening, and then a very disco-like, unexpected rythm appears. There's a very elegant piano on it with a very sensitive oboe part as well. 'When Hearts Collide' is a much more predictable track but takes further the optimistic feel of almost the whole album.'The Search' features the voice of a singer who appears greeted by the own Gettel for being "his own voice" in this song.'Glimmer of Hope' is a gem, a brethtaking, almost ambient song that has a very slow and full of mistery atmosphere. It begins with the first few piano notes of the album. The piano describes a lot of meditative, bitter and sweet thoughts and feelings and it all develops really slowly until a more optimistic feel grows and grows, and then the drums and electric guitar from the prolific Paul Speer explode in a very rocky, if still serene flight until it all fades away.'Broken' and 'Light of a Candle' are linked into one piece and there a sad and slow melody turns into a very dramatic and upbeat rythm keeping the same melody, just as if it told about a person that lives a depression and gets over it.The next track, 'Letting Go' is a perfect and clever turn into a very much fresher mood, it starts with a very clear and precise sequence of electric piano chords and then a fretless bass and a voice draw a very interesting melody, until it all gets to a terrific climax of voices, drums and basses. Then there is a beautiful part with oboe and it all comes back again to this shower of high quality music thundering around. A highlight not even from this album, but for every instrumental music you ever heard.The last two tracks expres a very happy feeling, just like a spiritual "home" returning. 'The Awakening' is just a marvellous track full of energy and light, in wich Michael Gettel's skill as a piano player and a composer get to the best and a nice work on guitar by Paul Speer is done. 'Through the Doorway' is like a happy farewell for the album at the end of which some bits from the second song, 'Turning of a Key', sound again, just like showing the completeness of this wonderous musical travel. A must hear for everybody."