Archive for the 'Melodramatic Popular Song' Category

Album – The Marriage of the Sun and the Moon – Aaron English

Posted by admin on 5th August 2007

The tone of this album reminds greatly of some of the classics, from the likes of Led Zepplin and Queen. However whilst the vocals have that Led Zepplin, power and Queen melodramatic delivery, the underlying music has an almost conflicting softness. Aaron will probably wince when I compare him to Al Stewart, he of “Year of the Cat” fame. That’s meant in no way as an insult, just that the rhythm and lyrically flow has that softer feel to it.

This 12 track album opens with the title track and as you would expect it’s a very strong opener. There’s some great uses of instruments, especially drums. The Al Stewart influence for me, is very strong in the second track “Thin Ice”. As I said before it’s more the lyrically flow than the music, but it’s a wonderful influence nonetheless. “Like Smoke” shows a completely different side of the album, with an almost middle eastern sound.

“Lovers in the Red Sky” is a more traditional ballad and for me is one of the real gems on the album. I’m a sucker for a ballad and this one has a real great feel to it, in both the production and the performance. There’s a real temptation to go through the album, track by track, but I’m sure you can pick up on the fact, that I’m 4 tracks in and there is quite an eclectic mix of influences and flavors.

I do however have to give a special mention to “Crossing the Desert, Crossing the Sea” which smacks to me of a track by Sting. I can just imagine him singing this. Maybe this isn’t a coincidence as track 11 is a cover of the Police’s “Message in a Bottle”, although this is a cover with a very different interpretation. The final track “Moon Murmurs” is one of those tracks that’s just amazing to listen to whilst wearing headphones and would have to be one of my favorites on the album.

Conclusion : This is an album that I probably wouldn’t have discovered, were it not for the fact that Aaron himself contacted me. This is very much an album that stands out from the crowd, for all the right reasons. I have to admit, it took me a couple of plays to really get into, but was well worth the perseverance. A little touch of something different and a wonderfully well executed album.

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