Love Notes By Alise Ashby

 

Love Notes

By

Alise Ashby

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

There is a wonderfully soothing sense of touch on this brand new release by Alise Ashby called Love Notes, upon the album itself the listener has 6 lush and textured ambient soundscapes to enjoy and bathe within, and by the tonal delights that my own senses gathered from its arrangements today, I too feel blessed that I had the good fortune to not only listen to it, but to review it in its entirety as well.

The first footfalls of this album come with an almost haunting reverie called A Moment In Time, the moving synth pads here created a backdrop of sound that was so sensitive and deeply heart felt, the performance on piano by Ashby doubly so, this is a dream like opus to open the doorways to our journey with.

Our next portal to brilliance is called Echoes of Love; here the piano dances a slow soft sensual dance with the synths and light percussive textures. The more I listen to this specific song I am minded that this might make an excellent romantic ballad, it most certainly has that single feel to its arrangement too.

Occasionally we see a Smokey Sunset from our main balcony, usually around this time of year in mid-autumn, and it is something to be so grateful for. The soft ethereal vocalisations within the hovering synth pads is a tapestry of that moment that is so delicate and fragrant, the acoustic guitar here added an extra touch to the composition, that created a vista of outstanding natural beauty to enjoy.

Tenderness is our next composition and if one word could sum up this entire project that word would be sufficient. This composition has that certain feel to it that reminds me of such artists like Mike Rowland and Stephen Rhodes from the 90’s, and the lazy hazy golden years of new age music, this is an incredibly passionate composition, one that oozes both gratitude and love from every pore.

The penultimate offering from this album is called Sweet Surrender and is a composition that utilises the minor aspect of music to a tee; the refrains here reveal a sense of honesty, and of past and present coming together in a realisation of combined tranquillity. Ashby on piano soars and creates a mellow mood, whilst raising the disposition of the piece to an almost transcendent level.

Our concluding composition is entitled Whispers of Devotion, if ever there was a sublime piece to end with then this is it, a heartfelt slice of unconditional love is played out within the notes of this composition, in fact I would go as far to say that this would be the perfect final music for a romantic movie, but regardless a splendid way with which to conclude the album.

Love Notes by Alise Ashby was one of the most charming albums of this elk that I have had the good pleasure to listen to and review for years, this is indeed a stylish release, one that fans of the piano with added instrumentation genre will adore. Love Notes by Alise Ashby has that pristine touch of musical magic about its construction, and I would not be surprised if it literally soared up the charts, it most certainly deserves to.