The following is a review of my album, If Only, written by Ascentor — Оставить комментарий from Russia. This is a rough translation as the original review was written in Russian. I used Google Translate to convert it into English.
You can read the original review here
I love listening to the sound of the piano and like many artists rely on this magnificent instrument their dreams, desires, thoughts and hopes. However, the canons of the genre “New Age Piano” such that a young musician, next to them, quite simply get lost, start playing, “the majority”, fixing only the “healing properties” of music and taking the same chords and harmony, and so on which already fairly walked more famous predecessors. And I’m totally not sure if I suddenly put the disc “If Only” American composer Rahn, I easily recognize it by finding the important distinguishing features of hundreds and thousands of other products. Nevertheless, we, me and this music had a great time together, and if I hardly was able to give something that sounds lovely, they gave me a good mood from the meeting with the beautiful.
Rahn wrote this album in five years, and certainly during this time managed to survive and to consider many things, looking back and looking ahead. All this was reflected in the themes and melodies, which he carefully, exquisitely drawn, thoroughly investigating and wrapping them transparent mirage keyboard strumming.
The title track “If Only” shows us the light, romantic mood of the author, which is transmitted to the listener a simple motif and causes him to dream about what he is busy on the Run photos in the booklet, namely, on vacation at the beach, near the shore of the stream, or walking through the courtyards historic buildings. “Ana b’hebbek” – a touching and affectionate dedication to mother a musician that sounds like it should sound like an appeal to the closest person to you. “Nahara” offers a plunge into the unrestrained expression of fast paced and concise sketches of the sun, drawn by a broad, generous brushstrokes. “Like a River” demonstrates how a simple, seemingly had heard many times the melody in the right hands takes on the original reading. Thoughtful and restrained sound “Karried Away”, she echoes the melancholic and soulful “All of You”, as if preparing for a surge of energy listener. “Eudaimonia” From the Greek word translated as “happiness”, this beautiful sense of melody is fully consistent with, and if you are to experience a catharsis, listening to this album, with a high probability it will happen when playing this song. In “Forever and Always” hear references to classic works of the Renaissance, however, against the background of sparkling positivity Rahn allows himself a little exaggerate, summing up the album unexpectedly thoughtful, even in some sad song “Prelude.” Like denoting care of someone or something, the author weaves a simple melody, which is lightweight confusion accompanies the best time of year – summer, preparing for a long autumn evenings and cold winter nights, but hiding somewhere in the chain of varying intonations of hope for a new renaissance.
A solid, confident and promising debut. Will appeal to all fans of “New Age Piano,” waiting for the music of romance, tenderness and ease.
