Neil Athale – “This is home”
-I try not to be too autobiographical on this site, but less than two hours ago my wife and I purchased our “forever home.” There don’t need to be lyrics in a piece for a track like “This is home” to resonate in a deep and powerful way. I hope to play this one loud and proud in that new place. Thank you for writing this, Neil Athale. For fans of Sleeping at Last.
Fabio di Biase – “Spring”
-This is the quintessential neoclassical track, with thoughtful and evocative piano lines. It feels like it could be played as the promising and hopeful tune before a wedding. There’s a feeling in the notation that feels, to borrow a term from another sense, a bit “fragrant” with the sweetness of flowers. It’s beautiful.
Kei Magnolia – “Jude”
-Dashes of orchestral flair make this sophisticated piano track reverberate beyond the immediate sounds you hear. That is to say it sticks with you. The phrasing is like a conversation, stopping and starting with emotion and realness. The jazzy chords at times put the listener in an introspective place. If you think all neoclassical “sounds the same,” you need to spin this track and let it shake you a bit.
Igor Longhi – “Room 101”
-If this song was a book, I would put it in the mystery section. There’s so much tension and power in the structure of the song that I can’t help but wonder what inspired it. I feel like it could easily narrate an action-packed scene in a film where the protagonist is getting closer to the big moment. I don’t know technical terms for piano playing, but the crispness of this performance is really rewarding. I am looking forward to hearing more from Longhi.
