Album review by Dyan Garris for New Age CD and Zone Music Reporter (ZMR)
“A World Away” is the 18th album from the award winning family band, 2002, consisting of the trio, Randy Copus, Pamela Copus, and their young daughter, Sarah Copus. “A World Away” is 10 tracks and 46 minutes of stellar, and I do mean stellar, contemporary New Age music.
Each family member is a multi-instrumentalist, and each contributes their other talents to their music as well. For example, together, and with their voices alone, they create multilayered, incredibly harmonious, dimensional vocals that form an etheric, otherworldly, angelic choir of sorts.
On “A World Away,” Randy Copus performs on piano, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, and we are treated to his poignant lead vocal on “To Live Again.” This is both grounding and heart-touching and is perfectly placed on the album line-up as track 3. Pamela plays the harp, flutes, and contributes her own ethereal vocals on the album as well. Their daughter, Sarah, performs lead and backing vocals on the 6 vocal tracks found here. Guest artists include James Song on violin and Jim Higgins on cello, both lending a superb richness to the already multi-dimensional tapestry.
“A World Away” is big, huge even, epic, cinematic, and at the same time, completely unpretentious. Every single note and every nuance rings true. It’s filled with life, textures, harmonies, and all impeccably mixed, produced, and presented. The album was mixed and mastered by Randy Copus at their own state-of-the-art recording studio in Texas, which was designed by the award-winning Russ Berger Design Group. The production on the album is simply superior.
This talented triumvirate – and, warning, warning, I’m going to get a little “New Agey” here – are like “star people” that were deposited on Earth at this particular time to bring us the gift of music from the other realms, the other worlds. If only we could remember. . .
But that’s not really it, exactly. That’s not the whole thing. You see, if “A World Away,” isn’t the incontrovertible definition of contemporary New Age music, then it ought to be, and for more than one reason. Along with the incomparably outstanding music, vocals, lyrics, and production, the album is about love. And we can see that clearly in the lyrics (6 vocal tracks), which are included with the album, by the way.
No, not the mushy kind of love, but the real kind; the kind that transcends all lifetimes and all worlds and all circumstances. The kind that exists into eternity, no matter when or how we part from each other. The kind that continues from one world into the next and beyond. Soul love. It’s about people finding each other again. It’s about people remembering who they are, and most importantly, remembering their connection to one another. And then doing what they came here to do, which is to BE the love. That is what we have here. And it’s all genuinely and astoundingly beautiful.
The album opens with the emotionally moving “Dream of Life.” The lead vocal is performed by Sarah Copus, an award winning and Billboard charting singer/songwriter and harpist in her own right. The track also features intricate, softly layered vocal harmonies along with rich cello and violin, adding even more abundant ambiance to the luxurious orchestration. It’s Enya-like, but better.
“Finding You” follows, and is a definite favorite, although it’s hard to choose an ultimate favorite when we find ourselves in a such fascinating smorgasbord of aural delight. This flowing instrumental has a gorgeous, expansive Celtic feel, which along with the harp, cello, violin, and vocal harmonies, evokes perhaps long forgotten dreams and memories of a world away from this one.
“Butterfly” is a completely lovely, uplifting vocal with Sarah on lead again. What I find shines through in this track is the superlative way these three people harmonize perfectly with each other. It’s not a stretch at all to believe they are true soulmates.
The hauntingly beautiful, dreamy, and mysterious “Memory of Tomorrow” is another one to love. The harp, cello, violin, and ethereal vocals wrap effortlessly around and into and through each other in a masterful mix. Magical.
The truly transportive instrumental, “We Are Always,” features gentle, melodic, guitar and sweet flute along with piano and angelic vocal harmonies. So dreamy, flowing, peaceful, and otherworldly, I found myself listening to it over and over again.
Track 9, “The Space Between,” felt like the perfect breathing space in between worlds, in between lifetimes. Masterful. “Stars and Moon” is an ultra-luscious vocal, not to be overlooked with its thought-provoking lyrics and rhythm of life. Could it be that life doesn’t really ever end even if it appears to be so? As well, not to be missed is another lovely vocal performance featuring Sarah, “The Stars Will Guide Us (Home).” This is tender, delicate, and gentle; a celestial journey with an innate innocence exquisitely intertwined with “old soul” wisdom.
The album closes out perfectly with the stirring vocal, “Strings of Your Heart,” which is the story of hearts searching for one other and finally finding each other once again, that recognition dawning perhaps not just through the euphemism, “heartstrings,” but quite literally through musical strings. Here we know that even if we’re separated by death, perhaps a thousand times, a thousand years, and in a thousand ways, we are still only a world away from each other, or not ever truly away from each other at all. We know each other eternally through our hearts.
“A World Away” is an outstanding, unparalleled album in the New Age genre. This is one where you’ll want to get the whole thing, not just a few tracks, because every single one of them is to love. Get it. Love it. Cherish it . . . forever.
Get “A World Away” here at 2002’s official website, or anywhere music is sold/streamed.
