Jeff Pearce - In The Season Of Fading Light FLAC

Jeff Pearce "In The Season Of Fading Light" CD

Quite long time has passed since Jeff Pearce's last album "Rainshadow Sky", released back in 2008. But this doesn't mean this ambient guitar virtuoso from West Point, Indiana, was inactive since that. In July 2011 Jeff Pearce has created together with his wife Anastasia a year-long project entitled "Provision Series". During this period Jeff was releasing each month one digital download single with donations to a different charity each month. A truly applauded project of this wonderful person and musician, and his family!!! "In The Season Of Fading Light" CD, packaged in beautiful 4-panel disc eco wallet, was released at the beginning of September 2012 on Jeff Pearce Music and features all 12 singles plus one unreleased track. The album again showcases Jeff's humanitarian dimension, because one dollar of each sold CD is donated to Feeding America. Mostly based on filigree piano performance, the album has a very strong evocative and nostalgic feel and showcase that Jeff Pearce is not only an ambient guitar genius, but also a very accomplished piano player. The portfolio of 13 tracks on the album is quite diverse even if the piano is the leading instrument, but we can hear here and there also peaceful guitar ambience, Jeff's indisputable trademark, along with few tranquil field recordings. The whole album is stunningly beautiful and intimate, with compositions ranging from more serene reveries, through those evoking long forgotten memories to those possessing more euphoric and melodic feel. Quietly meandering, title and opening piece "In The Season Of Fading Light", wonderfully merges sparse reflective piano lead with clouded ethereal guitar washes. Absolutely gorgeous intro!!! "Autumn And Regret II" is hauntingly joyful piano piece and reworked version from the remarkable "Bleed" album, one of my fave albums by Jeff Pearce. "Where All Rivers Begin" and "Harvest Prayer" (the only unreleased composition) masterfully incorporate into expressive piano textures intriguing and absorbing moments of silence. Tranquilly intimate piano on "A Secret For The Moon" with occasional distant dreamy washes is another standout piece!!! "After The Frost" captivates with sorrowful piano, which is later accompanied by immersing electric guitar played by the ebow. Solo piano on "Newfallen" and "Winter Waltz" has a very strong cinematic feel, on the later piece is joined by longing guitar ambience. Without any doubt, both these compositions are pure masterpieces!!! "Almost The Moon II" is another reshaped piano version, this time from "Lingering Light" CD, a beautifully reflective piece. The next composition, "Into Spring", returns to more uplifting mood. "Words From The Rain" are created by heartwarming piano soundscape delicately blanketed by tranquilizing rainy sounds. Pure aural bliss!!! "The Road And The Wind" is again more active while the closing and beautifully entitled "Where All Rivers End" bridges deeply evocative and ruminative piano with gracefully soaring guitar texture. A grand finale and soothing elixir for my ears!!! "In The Season Of Fading Light", 11th solo album by Jeff Pearce, paints hauntingly contemplative sonic landscapes, precisely displayed also by utterly gorgeous cover image by digital art designer Teodora Chinde from Romania. Additional awards also go to Corin Nelsen, Grammy Award winning producer and engineer for the mastering, to Mike Griffin of Hypnos for the graphic design as well as to Philip Aaberg, renowned pianist and composer (recorded for Windham Hill Records), for his lessons. Another amazingly introspective and enchantingly immersing work by Jeff Pearce!!!

Richard Gürtler (Dec 28, 2012, Bratislava, Slovakia)