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.
