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After achieving
much critical acclaim for his debut Real Music
release, listeners might have been wondering if
Eamonn Karran could reach such dizzy heights again with
his eagerly anticipated follow-up album- 'Forgotten
Road'. Fans of the genre need not have worried; from
the opening bars of this outstanding album, it is
clear that Eamonn has not just matched the high
standard set with 'Distant Sun', he has surpassed it
in every way.
'Forgotten
Road' features twelve original compositions from the
magical hands of this Irish composer, with the album
clocking in at just shy of an hour in duration.
A lot has
happened for better and worse in Eamonn's life over
the past year or two, and this is reflected in the
compositions that feature on this masterpiece of an
album. Eamonn lost his beloved mother during the
recording process, the very lady who nurtured his
interest in piano from the tender age of seven. Much
happier news came with the arrival of Eamonn's first
grandson, Olly, in August 2014. There are, perhaps
not surprisingly, contrasting
moods featuring on this album, and this certainly
helps to keep the listener's attention throughout.
Both the
opening and closing tracks capture the intrigue and
sense of mystery the composer feels to this day with
the paranormal and spiritual forces. The first
track, 'Fairy Dance' is quite upbeat and features
solo piano. The opening electronic touches give the
closing piece, 'Fascination' a sense of mystery and
intrigue, also illustrated by the atmospheric cover
art of the album. The deliberate positioning of
these two tracks to open and close the album give it
its shape, and demonstrates the significance of the
supernatural in Eamonn's life. The composer himself
explains, "I
am a big kid when it comes to all things paranormal
and spiritual; I'm completely fascinated by it and
always have been. There are legends of fairytales
that say that a lone tree in a field must never be
harmed as it belongs to the little people who dance
around them. These tracks are dedicated to those
stories that I often heard as a kid. There was one
of these trees close to Tullagh Strand, and on
holidays I would be a little creeped out passing it
especially late in the evening, thinking I might
come across some little people dancing!" Whilst the
opening seconds could not be more different, the two
compositions are both equally as beautiful and set
the tone for the album.
'Forgotten
Road' is a glorious, sentimental piece which
reflects on events and journeys of the past-
significant events of others, perhaps long
forgotten, but immortalised forever through photographs
and other documents. People can be taken away from
us, but never the memories of them. Eamonn explains:
"Whilst clearing out my mother's house after her
passing, we came across many sentimental things that
she and her sister, Jean, had kept. Upon reading
many of the little notes and looking at the photos,
it dawned on me how many adventures the most
important people in my life had taken, and how at
that moment I was probably the only person who knew
the details of those forgotten paths. It was almost
like the story of their life was being mapped out in
front of me, and it was beautiful but also sad to
see and read of the journeys they had taken, the
people they met and how all this is now long
forgotten. I'm glad this is the title track to my
album as it represents so much about our life's path
over the last number of years." With its Celtic
opening hinting at the composer's roots, I am
particularly fond of a section at around the 2:00
minute mark- a playful interlude. Happy memories
here, I feel.
The third track
of this wonderful album is entitled 'Angel of
Tullagh Strand'. It has a mysterious feel to its opening
and again illustrates Eamonn's fascination of the
unknown. The piano makes an appearance after 48
seconds, and the tone immediately softens. Best
described as hauntingly beautiful with angelic
voices singing wordless vocals, we are taken back to
Eamonn's childhood. "Tullagh Bay is a beautiful
beach in Donegal where I spent many childhood
holidays. We had a mobile home there. It's a
fantastic place, and I feel so blessed to have been
able to spend so much time close to nature and the
sea. My deep belief in angels has led me to believe
that we are all guided though life, and places like
this are part of what makes our spiritual journey so
amazing," explains Eamonn.
'Beyond the
Vale' is one of my three favourite tracks from the
album. With subtle synthesizer embellishments, the
melody here is simply gorgeous. Here, Eamonn is
looking beyond life, and with his own brush with
death some years ago, it is perhaps only natural
that he might be pondering this. "Beyond what we
know as our physical existence, is a mystery to many
of us and something that I have begun to question
over the last few years. The Vale actually means the
Veil of life, that curtain which is removed once we
awaken and realise what is beyond. This track is
dedicated to my journey of discovering what happens
to our soul after this life ends and why we travel a
certain path to reach this destination." Such is the
beauty of this track, the composer certainly creates
the feeling that there is nothing to be feared about
the unknown journey ahead of each and every one of
us.
It is ironic
that a near-fatal car accident was the turning-point
in Eamonn's career. Along with his wife, Eamonn made
the decision to focus on his music. This gamble has
certainly paid dividends, and it is only really now
that he has the opportunity to develop ideas from
years ago and be as one with the piano and creative
process. This opportunity to devote his life to the
piano has led to the creation of some outstanding
music, such as the track 'Crest of Life' and this is
not lost on Eamonn who says, "Through the many dark
days, I have come to realise that there are also
good times especially regarding my music. This is
the crest of my life, a time when I can finally get
the chance to be creative and do what I have longed
to do for many years. If I had been told five years
ago that I would be composing and releasing my own
pieces though an incredible label such as Real
Music, I would never ever have believed it. I spent
many days sitting playing melodies and ideas for
tunes but never had the courage or knowledge to
record, so most of them remained in my own head
until recently. Now it's like a tidal wave of
creativeness- hence two albums so close together- but
I think album three may be a quite a bit in the
future!" This is another lovely track which I can
listen to over and over again. It is timeless.
Few albums are
as consistently beautiful as 'Forgotten Road', and
it is with tracks such as 'Kindred Souls' that the
listener comes to realise what a natural talent
Eamonn Karran is, and his ability to create melodic,
heart-felt compositions time and time again. Never
overly-complicated, it is the perfect tonic for
relaxation.
'Hold My Hand'
has an emotional story attached to it. It is about
his mother's final days. The opening is mournful,
but the piece develops into a very Celtic-sounding
track suggesting the reminiscing of happy moments
that will never be forgotten. Eamonn explains to the
reader, "In October 2013, after taking ill, my
mother suddenly passed away and this had a huge
impact on what I was producing. This has been a dark
time for us all and that is reflected in quite a few
of my tracks on this album. I didn't intentionally
mean for these tracks to seem dark or even
depressing but as I don't read music everything I
produce is affected by my emotions at that time. I
hear certain phrases being spoken and this will
stick with me as I compose, hence "Hold My Hand".
This was something my mother said to my wife as she
lay seriously ill in hospital, and was a very
emotional moment for both my wife and myself as this
was just before she was operated on and never
recovered." Clearly written with his dear mother at
the forefront of his mind, it is worthy of note that
having listened to the album several times and with
no knowledge of the origins of the tracks, this is
also my own mother's favourite piece, and she feels
a certain 'connection' with it. I am quite sure that Eamonn's
late mother will be smiling with approval, as
the beauty of this track is beyond words I can
create.
'The Last
Dance' is also influenced by the above events. A
tender, slow opening opens like a delicate flower to
reveal another sublime composition- always gentle
and loving. This is a very reflective piece, and one
cannot help but be moved by it.
'An Grainan',
as the Real Music notes on the cover state, sees the
tempo and spirit liven as uilleann pipes, drums and
synthesizer embellish the piece. This is certainly
one on its own on this album. Quite avant-garde in
fact! This is Eamonn at his most playful and
creative. I suspect he had a lot of fun during the
composition process for this piece. It is another
track which showcases his love of things shrouded in
mystery. "An Grainan is a mysterious ring fort close to
where I live. It has been linked to Irish Clans and
Druids throughout history. I always enjoy travelling
there as the views are spectacular and its past is
literally shouting from the stones. I have been
intrigued by its history since I was a child and hope
someday to be able to perform live in its grounds as
it would make an incredible backdrop for a concert!"
Consider the boat-trip across the Irish Sea booked, Eamonn, if this becomes reality.
My second
favourite piece is 'As the Foyle Gently Flows'. The word
'exquisite' immediately springs to mind, and this is
sure to become a very popular choice with listeners.
It is such a melodic piece, and a joy to listen to
from start to finish. The unobtrusive guitar
complements the piano perfectly. The track captures
the beauty of the landmark it symbolically
represents. In the words of Eamonn,"This track is
named after the river that flows though my home town
Derry City and beyond. It's an incredibly scenic
river that I have been exploring since
childhood. It's a beautiful place to spend time with
my family and explore nature at its best."
In an album
full of stand-out tracks, it seems almost churlish
to pick an outright favourite. However, if push came
to shove, it would have to be 'Ease My Mind'. This
piece is of special significance to me as it was
through accidentally discovering this track on
YouTube before Eamonn's debut album was released,
that I was introduced to this composer's music. From the
opening bars, I was hooked. The beauty here lies in
its simplicity. If the reader listens to just one track on
this album to get a flavour of it, choose this one.
Amazingly, it nearly never saw the light of day. "I
was persuaded to release this track which was
actually recorded a few years ago, and I'm so glad I
did as it's now a favourite of mine. Like many of my
early pieces, this was influenced by my weak state
of mind after losing employment and not knowing
which direction to turn. It was a cry for help to
ease my state of panic and worry about the future.
One of the reasons I think I turned away originally
from this track is that it represented a bad time,
but I now realise that these times were simply the
foundations for what is happening now, and this
piece is all part of that journey."
As is
synonymous with all Real Music albums, the recording
quality is top-notch throughout, and I love Stephen
Emerson's cover photo. The album was recorded at
River City Studios, in Derry City (Northern
Ireland), and Eamonn used a Yamaha P105 piano and a
Yahama M06.
Real Music, a hugely respected label, might have
thought they were taking a risk in signing Eamonn to
their impressive roster of musicians, but this
release from this incredible pianist not only
justifies their bold decision, it propels the
composer into the same league as other new-age
greats such as George Winston and Kevin Kern. 'The Forgotten Road' will not pass from
memory. Take the journey, and its outstanding
beauty will stay with the listener for many
years to come.
S.C. |
