Crommie, Daniel: Penumbra – Summer Solstice Sketches

Penumbra – Summer Solstice Sketches is the latest release from multi-instrumentalist Daniel Crommie. Crommie has a massive body of work with over two dozen albums to his credit. He has also worked with the bands Group Du Jour, Echo System and Saturnalia.

Crommie plays a variety of instruments, most notably dulcimers, recorders, flutes, synths and Mellotron. The album was recorded during the summer solstice, when the Earth's tilt is greatest towards the Sun. So, does the music reflect the warm days of summer? For the most part I think it does. This is a gently flowing album as many of the tracks are ambient in nature like the soft and peaceful "Rain Outside the Temple" with quiet recorder, synths and dulcimer easing into the soundscape. "Summer Solstice Eve" is another calming piece with gently cascading swells of sound and pretty recorder. The album's first track "Revisionist History" is more electronic with pulsating beats, washes of synths and more intense effects giving this one an edgier sound as compared to the rest of the tracks. "Jungle Wire" ventures into world music with tribal percussion and a repeating flute line that is quite good. "The Leaf Gatherers" is a short ambient track with soft recorder while "Branch Water Avenue" is a little more upbeat with riveting flute trills and a buildup of synths and other electronic elements.

For an ambient instrumental album, Summer Solstice Sketches is a pretty good listen. While I likely won't play it often as the music is a little soft for my tastes, when I want to totally relax and forget about the stress that daily life can bring, Crommie's music will certainly be a good option.

Track Listing:
1. Revisionist History (5:40)
2. Rain Outside the Temple (2:47)
3. Jungle Wire (4:28)
4. Summer Solstice Eve (3:40)
5. The Leaf Gatherers (1:45)
6. Branch Water Avenue (4:27)
7. 4 July/Penumbra (6:29)
8. Wind Dancer (4:25)
9. Aunt Lion (5:23)
10. Seeding the Clouds (5:54)

Added: October 6th 2014
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 1948
Language: english

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