Search - Suzanne Ciani :: Velocity of Love

Fairly ordinary new age

Greg Brady | Capital City | 07/11/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'm probably not the normal "new age" listener in that I despise the very notion of "background music": I'm an active listener and I don't think of music as ambient "noise" to have on while I read/watch TV/play video games/play cards, etc. When I choose to listen to music, I listen to it. That means I don't want something that meanders into oblivion and tends to induce boredom or day-dreaming. I want something that inspires feelings in me, be they melancholy sighs, bubbly smiles, tearful grieving, or visceral anger (in the case of hard rock/metal or punk).



In the end, this means that I usually favour strongly melodic new age over music that employs a lot of "noodling" over washes of synths. Music as "texture" is not my thing.



HIGHLIGHTS:

Ciani's music seems warmer when centered around her piano, with the synths just added for flavour. She wisely chose to title the album around "Velocity of Love", one of the better tracks here. (A synth "trumpet" takes a brief solo, then the theme returns to piano). A near martial feel characterizes "History of my Heart"..maybe meant to evoke the feel of the battles "fought" to gain control of it?



LOWS:

"Malibuzios" starts strong but flags in the middle before rebounding at the end. I think it simply runs too long at nearly 9 minutes without enough musical ideas. Had it been trimmed to 5 or 6 minutes with the best bits kept, we'd have a stronger tune.





BOTTOM LINE:

While there are moments of beauty here, much of this tends to wash into the background. It's not awful, but it's far from what I'd consider a high-water mark in new age or even in Ms. Ciani's music."

Space Age love songs

John Martin | San Mateo, CA USA | 11/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Suzanne has bridged classical and electronic music to create her most heartfelt release to date. Her delicate touch is used to it's greatest effect in these lilting love songs. On the title track, her most passionate playing is in full force. However, her sound is as expansive as it is passionate. The depth of her moods is conveyed through her phrasing of time and space in her harmonies and solos. She demonstrates her mastery not only on the piano, but on electronic instruments on tracks, "Lay down beside me" and "Malibuzios." Suzanne creates expansive moods while playing romantic melodies."

Very relaxing music; great used as background music

John Martin | 07/21/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD was one of the first new age music CD's that I bought. These songs have played in the background many-a-times while I do my physics homework both in undergraduate, and now in graduate school! Well worth purchasing, although I do tend to like the Wave Live! album from 1997 a bit better."