Album Review for New Age CD, New Age Notes Radio, Zone Music Reporter (ZMR), and “Spirit Seeker Magazine”
“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.” –Claude Monet
“A little slice of Heaven on Earth.” – New Age CD
Dean and Dudley Evenson are the definition and epitome of “New Age.” Sound healers and early video pioneers, their music is what we consider “classic New Age.” It’s beautiful, and they are both treasures. The exquisite, delicate music on their album, “Monet’s Garden,” was inspired by the actual gardens of the famous French Impressionist painter, Claude Monet. The Evensons visited Monet’s gardens in Giverny, France, where those gardens are located, for 5 days in the springtime, making video and field recordings of the surrounding beauty in all its splendor.
“Monet’s Garden” is 12 beautiful tracks, 66 minutes of pure and peaceful relaxation, perfect for meditation and yoga as well. The instrumentation consists of harps, singing bowls, chimes, flutes, field recordings, and keyboards.
The album opens with the tranquil “Water Lily Nymphs.” I believe one of the features in Monet’s gardens is a water lily pond. The sounds of scintillating harp, birds, and nature, conjure up in the imagination, fairies, nymphs, and magical unseen creatures that on some plane of existence surely inhabit these beautiful, almost sacred, surroundings. Dean’s flute performance is also magical, and we are instantly at peace, transported to a different time and place. Heavenly.
Following is another scene from the gardens, “Wisteria Foot Bridge.” Deeper flute here, nature sounds, harp, and more, again relax the spirit, and the mind and body follow. Just gorgeous. What a wonderful state of grace to find oneself in.
That state of grace and complete peace carries on throughout the rest of the album, and, of course, then, in the almost trance inducing, “Golden Tones,” where droning synth, layered flutes, chimes, bells, all make this super special. The continuity here in this body of work is wonderful, and this is one where you’ll, indeed, want to get the whole album.
I found “Splendid Irises” so ultra-relaxing, it’s hard to describe. Harp, flute, and the rest, wrap around each other here in a magnificent, gentle embrace. Ditto for “Water Garden.” Worries and cares seem to simply dissolve into nothingness as we take in this beauty and serenity deep into the soul.
Calming water sounds, sweet flute, soft synth, and bird sounds continue to take us on a deeply relaxing journey in “Spring Impressions.” That’s a great song title, as Monet was best known as an Impressionist painter, and the Evensons were visiting the gardens in the springtime. All this beauty is perfectly captured and portrayed in these brilliant, gentle soundscapes. I think Monet would be very happy, and I would say it is entirely possible the Evensons channeled their “inner Monet” for the creation of this album. The album is as exquisite as an original Monet painting in all its reflective light.
“Enchanted Garden Path” takes us even deeper into the gardens, which begin to feel more and more like the Garden of Eden. This is a truly heavenly interpretation of earthly beauty. It’s a little slice of Heaven on Earth, to be sure.
Soulful and beautifully played flute touches the heart in the dreamy “Field of Flowers.” Yes, it feels as if we are totally somewhere else, untouched by time. This is gorgeous in every way.
Part of the mastery of Monet’s paintings was his ability to paint light and reflections. “Pond Reflections” seems to musically capture this ability perfectly as does “Play of Light.” This is all so dreamy, reflective, and soothing to the soul.
One of the features of Monet’s gardens is the beautiful flowing willow trees. A glorious tribute to these, “Cascading Willows” vividly portrays this beauty, gentleness, and flow of these majestic trees. Again, flute, harp, and soft synth, plus all the other delicate, intricate nuances, make this soothing to every fiber of your being. We do feel one with the trees, with nature, and of course, with these magnificent gardens.
The album closes out with the ethereal “Evening in Giverny.” This is a woven tapestry of peace and love enduring. What a lovely album!
Get “Monet’s Garden” here: https://soundings.com/product/monets-garden/ or your favorite streaming service: https://orcd.co/monetsgarden
Official artist website: https://soundings.com/
To experience more of Dean and Dudley’s Monet journey through France:
To request media review copies, or to interview the artists, contact:
Beth Hilton, The B Company
[email protected]
