Adam Hurst - Elegy (2010)
Adam Hurst - Elegy (2010)
1 Summoning 5:23 2 Fragments 3:59 3 Elegy 3:26 4 Sacrament 4:26 5 Sparrow 3:30 6 Absence 3:18 7 Wake 4:36 8 Radiance 3:21 9 Procession 2:35 10 Embers 3:51 11 Flor De Noche 3:48 12 Lament 3:16 13 Cold Wind 4:01 14 View From Within 2:54 15 The Visitor 2:48
The Portland cellist’s seventh release marks a departure from the drone-grounded, solo modal improv of his live performances and recent CD outings. Hurst overdubs spare piano accompaniment that allows a richer harmonic language, more through-composed moments and, notwithstanding a couple of cuts (e.g. “Radiance”) with Middle Eastern rhythms and drone, a more European Romantic classical sound meets the old Windham Hill melodic acoustic style. As track titles such as “Elegy,” “Absence,” “Wake” and “Lament” suggest, the prevailing mood is melancholic, sometimes mournful, exploiting the instrument’s dark qualities. Others range from dramatic (“Summoning”) to plaintive (“Fragments”) to pensive (“View from Within”), all riding memorable, song-like melodies. The consistently somber mood across the 15 concise tracks makes it easy to bask in the. ---Brett Campbell, cdbaby.com
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