SARAH BRIGHTMAN – Dreamchaser

Label: Simha LLC

Release Date: April 16, 2013

Rating: 9/10

Reviewed by: ToddStar

Every rocker needs to decompress at times.  For me that means either pop sensibility or great vocal pieces.  The latest from Sarah Brightman, while rich on the latter, it has plenty of punch from the pop side of the aisle.  “Angel” is a beautiful opener that is quintessential Brightman.  This song demonstrates why she is one of the most famous sopranos to crossover to popular music.  The strength of her voice is tempered only by her self-control, as she matches her tone and depth to that of the musical interlude underneath the vocals.  “One Day Like This” continues down the same path, with layered vocals and orchestration played to her strengths. The strings seems to dance alongside her beautiful voice. “Glosoli” is a great cover that seems to have been written for her to perform.  The ethereal instrumental piece adds depth to Sarah’s vocals and creates a new feel for the track that fans of Sigur Ros have come to know.  Listening to the track lulls one into a safe place where all seems right with the world, if only for those nearly seven minutes.  “Lento e Largo From Symphony No. 3, Op. 36” is more of an exercise in orchestration and the use of the vocals as one of the many instruments on this piece.  The movement between the vocals and instrumentation is very fluid.  “B 612” is another piece the seems less like a song and more like a vocal exercise; a very listenable and enjoyable vocal exercise.  Not many artists can take vocal sounds and make them as enjoyable as some songs.

“Breathe Me” is a nice sibling piece to the previous track, as the vocals and lyrics stand out nicely against the instrumental component.  The vocal effects used in the track add a nice dimension to the piece.  “Ave Maria” is not the typical arrangement one is used to when they think of this track.  This has a bit more of an ethereal feel to it, as one would expect from Ms. Brightman.  The layering of the vocals and use of background textures gives this song a different sound altogether.  “Eperdu” has a cool orchestral fusion groove that opens the track, but it soon morphs into another beautiful instrumental that showcases the strength and prowess of the the vocals.  The music isn’t quite subdued on this track, but it blends well with the vocals.  “A Song Of India” comes across as more of a classic track, than the previous lofty tracks.  Once the soprano tones fill the speakers, you are swept to another place, enjoying the song, note by note.  The soaring of the vocals during the bridges helps the song take flight.  “Venus And Mars” is a great track that helps reel in the bigger feel of the previous tracks.  The vocals are grounded and solid.  The song is simple, but one of the stronger tracks on the disc, due to the great arrangement of the orchestral piece and its mix with the vocals.  “Closer” is a perfect track to end the disc with.  The instrumentation seems updated and synth heavy, but not to the point of drowning the vocals.  The song is different from most everything on this disc, but somehow helps tie everything together nicely.  This is a grat disc to throw on when you want to just fade out and enjoy the moment.  Bravo Ms. Brightman.  Bravo.

http://www.sarahbrightman.com

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Category: CD Reviews