Piano in the Wilderness By Craigology

 

Piano in the Wilderness

By

Craigology

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

Today an interesting album landed on my desktop for review, that of Piano in the Wilderness by Craigology. Interesting, why I hear you musing, simply because the artist has become known to me, more for his funky jazz vibes than that of the ambient solo piano that resides upon this wonderful new album,  and I must say, after concluding my now third listen, I am incredibly impressed with its beautiful collection of ambience.

Working Remotely is a relaxing way with which to begin our piano journey with the artist, the gentle onward narrative gives the listener a smooth base from which to make a musical standpoint, but for me personally track 3 illuminated my senses and left me thinking that I had listened to a true masterpiece. This tonal gem is entitled Marooned and contains a delightful change in chords and structures of tones from minor to major and back again, gifting the listener an uplifting yet reflective moment of piano magic to thoroughly enjoy, and for me one of the best tracks from the artist that I have ever heard.

Before that the more melodic vibrations of pieces like A Midnight Moment, create a lush classical mood in an almost surreal and sepia landscape, whilst Memories from Tomorrow manifests a similar mood, but with a slightly more elevated tempo than the aforementioned offering.

On Water Bird I found a piece that could possibly be a good single, its natural melody and rhythm flows quite beautifully, but the tender tempo gives the listener a caring meditative piece, an offering redolent of the subject matter, as one watches ducks or swans drift on the glistening surface of a lake perhaps.

Talking of meditative pieces here is one with a repeating motif that fits the bill and called Archipelago. An archipelago is a group or chain of islands clustered together in a sea or ocean. The islands can be small or large, close together or spread out, and they often share geological origins or ecological features. Craigology has created a narrative here that allows us to drift by many of these in total peace and calm.

The slow beginning on Salmon Run is a beautiful thing, there is an under pinned tenderness here that contains a wonderfully textured juxtaposition of tone and timbre, combining intent and a deliberate onward moment, and a piece that has a delicious melody to.

The concluding manifestation is probably one of the most ambient pieces I have heard from the artist and called Claw Marks. Reminding me at times of a combination of US pianist Michael Harrison and the late but great Harold Budd, with its gentle projected ambient structures and sensitive tonal delights.

Piano in the Wilderness by Craigology was a very enjoyable experience, one that whilst surprised me, it did so pleasantly, so much so, that I actually listened to it four times in a row, and each time I found it more relaxing and calming with each note played. Personally this soft ambient pastiche is what I prefer on a solo piano album, and as such I can see that Craigology should have a bit of a hit on this hands with Piano in the Wilderness, he certainly deserves it.