Reviewing a CD that is obviously quite personal and openly emotional for the artist, as is the case
with Shirley Cason's A Summer Dream, is difficult because, frankly, it's impossible to be as objective
as a critic should be (provided one has any feelings, that is). A Summer Dream is dedicated to
(and more or less themed around) Shirley's sister, Carol, who passed away in the summer of 1998. Having
lost both my parents, the loss of family members certainly hits a chord with me.
However, as a music critic, it's necessary to do one's best to strip all the "interference" away to some degree,
lest one is accused of partiality. Even when I discard any personal memories, though, I can still
recommend A Summer Dream as a well-performed and gently evocative collection of piano and synth
pieces that are sometimes warm and soft and other times sad and nearly always genuinely touching.
The thing that I'm most impressed with on this album is Cason's willingness to use a lot of different
synth sounds. So many pianists (when they use synths at all) just use string fills (and that can certainly
be enough). How refreshing, then, to hear all manner of electronic keyboards, yet always in the service
of melodic, accessible adult contemporary/new age music.
There are extensive liner notes (sometimes in the form of poems/lyrics, even though the album is wholly
instrumental) that paint a picture of love and loss and growth through pain.
The CD begins with the playful and sprightly "Springtime" (lilting flutes, bells, bass, and guitar-
like keyboards, along with piano) and begins its voyage through different moods, tempos, and melodic approaches.
"Come Out and Play", is a Kevin Kendle-like track with flute and lovely synth bells. "Summer of '98"
opens with bluesy piano (by the way, if it matters to you, the piano on the album sounds like a digital,
although a pretty good one to my ears), and the cut soon becomes a reflective piano and strings tune - wistful
yet not somber. "Lost," one of the more overtly new agey cuts on the CD, is sadder, as Fender
Rhodes-like keys ride on top of swirling synths ( I could've done without the wind effects on this track,
though). One of the best selections is the next one. "Last Walk" has a unqiuely juxtaposed lively
rhythm with quasi-mournful synths (consisting of nicely flowing keyboards and some plucked note sounds).
It's my favorite track on the CD, I think. "Last Breath" is almost unrelentingly morose at the start
(as the title would suggest, although once again I think the wind sounds are misplaced) but evolves
into something quite different via a Constance Demby-ish crescendo (signifying "passing over" I would
imagine although I don't want to appear presumptuous). My interpretation is based on the spacemusic
and celestial textures during the latter stages of the track.
The album closes with the title song, and it's another highlight. Gentle bells, lush strings,
and hushed cymbals open the song which eventually becomes a piano-led number that speaks of
acceptance and the strength that flows from the knowledge that our loved ones never truly leave us.
As you can tell from some of my comments above, I resonated with what (in my opinion) Shirley Cason was
intending on A Summer Dream. So, take some of my praise with a grain of salt if you're cynical
or tend to like music that is more subtle about its emotional intent. This album is not ashamed to
wear its sorrowful yet ultimately hopeful heart on its sleeve. From a purely analytical standpoint,
it's nice background music for light activity (I think the emotional highs and lows, however, may make
it difficult to concentrate or read during playback).
I recommend the CD, though, especially to die-hard romantics and those who enjoy electronic keyboards
mixed with piano.
Bill Binkelman
New Age Reporter.com
A SUMMER DREAM
CD review by Kathy Parson
Mainly Piano.com
“A Summer Dream” is quite different from Shirley Cason’s previous album of original material,
“Forever in Bloom”.
Cason’s sister, Carol, suffered from liver diseases, and this CD tells the
story of the summer of 1998 when Carol’s illness became severe and took her life. Although there is
no singing on the CD, Cason wrote lyrics for many of the songs and included them in the liner notes
for listeners to look at as they listen, giving more insight into the meaning of the songs. Without
the lyrics, though, the songs are very evocative and powerful, allowing the listener to attach his
or her own experiences to them as shared emotions.
Cason uses various synthesizer sounds and samples
to convey her feelings very effectively. My only criticism of this very fine album is that I would
love to hear a good acoustic piano instead of an electronic keyboard where the piano parts are.
I know that this is often a matter of economics for indie artists, but, esthetically, a piano
is still so much warmer and richer than the electronics.
“A Summer Dream” opens with Carol’s favorite song, “Springtime”, a bright and sunny tune,
full of fun and joy. “Come Out and Play” shifts moods a bit, as a sister calls to her sleeping
sibling to “hold my hand and say ‘let’s go’”. “The Calling” recalls Carol seeing her mother
at the end of the bed, and calling her. The lyrics are from Carol’s perspective, not being able
to understand what was happening, but looking forward to being free from the pain of her illness.
The song is sad, but full of hope. “Summer of 98” would make a wonderful movie theme. Bittersweet
and melancholy, the song is full of questions and a tangle of emotions that everyone has when
life becomes especially difficult. “Lost” is much more abstract and heavy - again the weight of
the swirling emotions and sense of impending loss is very powerful. “Last Walk” is perhaps the
strongest piece (musically) in the collection - the mix of emotions being conveyed so
successfully is amazing. “I Love You, I Do” is a simple love song - a reaching out
before the inevitable comes. “Last Breath” is again abstract, conveying the sense of
unreality that occurs when something devastating happens. Some of the sounds are distorted and “bent”,
creating a surreal feeling. The tones are very dark and bleak, and a tremendous sense of loss comes through.
“Mama” is again reaching out, this time for comfort and peace. “A Summer Dream” closes this
most effective CD on a much lighter note - full of hope and looking forward, and even moreso of the
healing that only time and closure can provide.
On a personal note, I lost my dad to cancer at about the same time Shirley lost her sister, and I found
this album to be an amazing journey down a familiar path. I hope composing this music brought Cason
some peace, as it will certainly be a comfort to others. It is available from amazon.com.
Kathy Parsons
MainlyPiano.com
|
