What Have We Done to This World by Stacey Lord

 

What Have We Done to This World

By

Stacey Lord

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

A new artist here for me, but with a message that most normal people would think of an anthem, yet politicians would run and hide in the corner of the darkest room, and count there greed filled coffers in the silence of the greed of the destruction that they have caused. Yes this is a powerful song, but I wouldn’t call it a protest song, it’s far stronger than that and it is one that demands to be listened to.

Here on What Have We Done to This World by Stacey Lord, she literally rips the pages out of the book of truth and rams them in everyone’s face, and screams do something about it whilst doing so. As I write I live in a country that is being greatly affected by a manufactured war by the greediest nation on earth, this song needs to be brought to the main stream as an anthem of the voice of the people, to say STOP enough is enough.

Musically this is stunning, and I may say thank you so much for making a brilliant piece of music like this come in at some 6 and a half minutes long, to me this shows conviction and a belief in the narrative. Joni Higgins-Wilson our singer here is outstanding; her tone gives the listener a poignant moment of pause and reflection through her vocal style.

Harvey Summers & the Sing Space (Bexhill) children, form a choir for the chorus, there is something redolent of the 60’s about that chorus, it is so compelling, again anthem like, but their vocals were very powerful and pronounced superbly, which only elevated the entire project further. Harvey Summers wrote, mixed & mastered the music, which is without doubt one the most passionate singles of 2026.

What Have We Done to This World is an environmental and socially conscious song that combines emotional lyrics with cinematic musical elements and in my view is one of the most cogent and intelligent singles I have heard for literally ages. This song is something that should be featured on every TV station around the world, and should be flying up the charts, and maybe more on the horizon can be seem for What Have We Done to This World by Stacey Lord.

Almost Here By Kerani

 

Almost Here

By

Kerani

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

It’s not until I looked, but it had been a while since I had heard from Kerani, in fact back in 2024 and her album Silent Heart, but two strange years have been added to this crazy worlds historical narrative, and in 2026 I am elated to be listening to and writing about the last masterpiece by one of the finest female instrumentalists in the 21^st century Kerani and her latest release Almost Here.

This classy new release is packed with top class items, such as the moody and deep opener entitled Glass Between Us, the elements of tension here are built perfectly by the artist on synths and keyboards, and the distant percussive nuances only add to that. Here is a track which highlights unresolved and hidden issues, which cast a sense of foreboding and suspense upon proceedings.

Kerani is well known for her work in the neo classical genre, but here she seems to meld into many genres, cinematic, soundtrack, a meditative texture at times, then glorious almost full on classical styled motifs, in a very impressive collection of creations. One of my personal favourites was the ambient yet inspiring Frozen Spaces, then onto Ember Morning, that more deliberate classical style is evident here, and introducing a cello solo and hobo, plus of course Kerani’s signature cinematic style on piano in a glorious offering indeed.

The title track can be found next and called Almost Here, for me this is one of the best title tracks the artist has ever manifested, a movie style opus yes, but one that just holds back enough for that resolution to be hinted at as a very real later conclusion, reminding me in context of that of the artist and former Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord did, on his classically inspired Pictured Within album many years past.

Of the more classically emphatic compositions this one truly moved me and at certain stages had elements of both Vaughn Williams and Eric Whitacre within the weave of the piece, this track for me is probably the best composition I have ever heard from Kerani, the soaring juxtaposition between flute and strings emphasising release and joy with such beauty, hurrah for Lifting the Veil a dramatically glorious track indeed.

The concluding narrative is entitled High Air, here the artist once more mixes the high notes of release with the darker back drops of a more academia styled manifestation, thus another cinematic piece if born, but here’s one that signifies that the track may have found the final solution to that of the aforementioned piece Almost There, in a dramatic soundtrack styled final offering.

Almost Here by Kerani in my view is one of the finest bodies of work I have heard from the artist since her release Small Treasures back in 2018, this is splendid in every aspect, it is a fine example of utterly transcendent neo classical crosser music, and an absolute must have for any aficionados of the more classy instrumental styled opuses, without a doubt this is top notch and should be a huge chart hit for Kerani and Almost Here.

Fragile By Forrest Smithson

 

Fragile

By

Forrest Smithson

Written by

Steve Sheppard

 

I must declare from the very off that I am a huge fan of the work of Forrest Smithson, his electronic and ambient vibes have been thrilling my musical palate for years now, ever since 2013 and the album Dreaming Time and of course my favourite of all releases of his Ooti from 2015, but time flies past, and some 11 years later I am here bathing in the sonic bliss of a new release from the master called Fragile, and this could very well be the artists apex recording of all time.

Speak of vibrant pieces and one will appear, and it does so in the guise of the title track Fragile, there are elements of the Ooti album here with other keyboard sounds, even a guitar deep in the weave, but the up-tempo energetic nuances of this incredible opener certainly set the scene for a wondrous ride indeed.

Fragile is a complex album, but easily accessed by any lover of truly good instrumental music, classy and beautifully organised pieces like August reflect the past brilliances of Smithson’s sheer electronic genius, whilst the offering Auramind gifts the willing listener an almost spiritual moment of meditative bliss with its fluent yet ambient harmonics and tonal delights.

This 9 piece release is packed with some of the best creations within the electronic and ambient genres; the depth of tracks like Within is utterly palpable and deeply moving, one could easily get lost within its mysterious confines, here is a track that could be utilised in a science fiction movie, the synths are a beautiful complexity of a ripeness of sound, and an interwoven narrative of an anticipation of something unfound and perhaps until now unknown, and yes, this is my personal favourite from the album.

As we move from the middle of the album a true electronic gem can be found in all its ambient glories, an ethereal quality can be garnered here that is symphonically amazing and uplifting, and called Voyager, one can enjoy the floating synths and the galactic feel of the creation as we drift ever onward through this incredible cosmos of sound and vibration.

Ambience can be found in another personal favourite of mind, the more new age sounding Everpresent moment. This creative mastery is a veritable mixture of three prolific styles and combinations, just goes to show what a natural and heart felt musician Forrest actual is, on the most moving offering of the release, one that I will play repeatedly on my personal playlist of calm and relaxation, the natural sounds included here were so beautifully recorded and set to perfection, that it lifted the overall texture of the track to a new height.

There are some lighter tonal delights within this release that need to be appreciated by its audience, like the charming almost hypnotic effect of the track Importarium. Then one could drift into the John Carpenter styled manifestation called Prepared location, however Forrest offers us here a more complex creation, and one that varies in its overall narrative to deliver its structure and journey.

The concluding composition is entitled Pinnacles of Awareness and for me it was one of the most spiritually alive moments from the album, deeply meditative and powerfully rooted in the mysterious elements of self-discovery and well-being. At some 17 minutes long it is a true long form opus of grandeur that needs not to be skimmed over, but listened to on repeat; it is truly an epic of gargantuan proportions.

Fragile by Forrest Smithson is in my view the artists best work to date, I don’t say that lightly having been a fan of his music for some 13 years or so, but his compositional structure, the production and balance in both ambient new age and electronic music, make it easier for me to state that here is an album destined for the top spot in the charts, and maybe more, kudos Forrest Smithson. Fragile is simple awesome.