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Until a month
ago, I had never heard of Carly Comando, and came
upon her music quite by chance. And yet, many will
have heard her music but might just not recognise
the name; Carly's compositions have been used in
numerous Amnesty International campaigns and even in
The Simpsons! ‘One Take’ is so called as the album
was quite literally recorded as such. It is also the
first album on here that, for the moment at least,
is only available as a download.
The Brooklyn
pianist's music is
quite tricky to categorise, with elements of both
Classical and New Age. At times, the music reminds
me of Ludovico Einaudi.
The album
opens, logically enough, with ‘Introduction’, and
this is a gentle and short piece which is quite
minimalist in form. Next, comes ‘Bear’, and this is
a much more upbeat affair- this is one track that
reminds me of the Italian maestro mentioned above.
It is fun and playful, and beautifully played.
‘Fairy Princess’ is a delicate little number, almost
lullaby-like, and very melodic from start to finish.
‘Fall’ beautifully captures the slow transition from
Summer into Autumn, and is very graceful in form
particularly at the start. There's nothing complex
here- relatively simple notes executed with an
intimate style. ‘Peaceful’ certainly lives up to its
name, with its slow tempo and rests between notes.
I'm very
interested in the background behind the track ‘Fairy
Princess Goodbye’. This is a mournful piece; the
separation must have been a difficult one for the
composer. ‘Summer’ is slow and spacious- Earth is
slowly awakening from its slumber perhaps.
‘Interrupt’ opens with very low notes, and conveys
to the listener that all is not well. In fact,
without ever resorting to a quickening tempo, this
is quite an angry piece. ‘Vincent’ opens with a
series of single notes, and continues with its
minimalist form for much of the piece. Timing is
everything on pieces such as these, and Carly's is
immaculate.
Without doubt,
my favourite composition is saved for last and it is
certainly the composer's most well-known and
recognised piece. ‘Everyday’ rolls along
beautifully. It's a happy piece and a lovely way in
which to conclude the album.
I do find it
both remarkable and very impressive that the entire
contents were recorded in one take, with no edits at
all. It would seem that Carly is a musician who just
lets the music flow out of her. As she says,
“I write all of my music
off the top of my head but I couldn’t transcribe it
if I tried. I am classically trained but I cheated
my way through piano lessons because I have perfect
pitch and play by ear.”
I know very
little about the composer, but I do know that for a
relatively small amount of money, I have ended up
with a short album which has given me a great deal
of enjoyment.
The music on
this album comes to you highly recommended.
S.C. |
