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Whalen’s body of work is very eclectic and despite being gifted, Whalen
refuses to package his music in the same wrapping. Needless to say, My Secret
Heart relies on the smooth flow of the organic New Age instrumental genre,
with its warm and inviting understated melodies. Nevertheless, it is integrated
with open passages of time and space, making its bloodline overwhelmingly ambient.
Born in New York and raised in Washington DC, Whalen’s musical
origins began on the percussion. However by high school the piano
had encapsulated and mesmerized his imagination. The rest as they
say is history. A vast majority of his work has resulted in soundscaping
for many television shows which have even resulted in an Emmy award.
My Secret Heart is deeply personal and introverted allowing
the listening to rest and relax in the gorgeous music of Whalen. “I
Have Loved You For A Thousand Lifetimes” mesmerizes the listener
from the very beginning. The melody is memorable, but not overwhelming,
gently transfixing the listener. This track is followed up by the
even more open “Hands Of Silk” with Whalen’s
hands initially glancing gently over the keyboards only to draw
on the melody line of Rose Royce’s hit “Wishing On
A Star”, however, the comparison’s stop there.
The ambient theme becomes even more ambitious courtesy of the
moody and lengthy “Tantric” whose theme rises again
courtesy of “Moonglow”. Even so, Whalen’s compositions
continually return to the more soft and romantic, courtesy of the
ultra silky “Your Eyes In The Candlelight” and “Addicted
To You”. It is this theme that breathes life into the heartbeat
of the project.
If you are expecting to be overwhelmed with heart-racing melodies
that sweep you up in the air then this album is not for you. Though
the melodies are memorable, they are composed in a much understated
way. So much so that this album will require repetitive visits
to fully enjoy. The emphasis here, as suggested by the album title,
is meditative qualities integrated with melodic themes from this
ever-evolving romantic pianist. That said Whalen is utterly successful
in sharing the essence of his most inner being.
CD available at:
amazon.com
michaelwhalen.com |
