Michele McLaughlin – Undercurrent
2015, Michele McLaughlin
Michele McLaughlin found her field of dreams, and it has 88
keys.
Drawn to the piano from a young age, McLaughlin was playing
in front of school mates at the age of five and composing by the age of eight. Blessed with a musical ear, McLaughlin
inhaled melodies and breathed them in ebony and ivory. McLaughlin briefly took piano lessons, but
eschewed the structure of formal instruction.
For the most part, she taught herself by listening to and copying other
composers. Validation came in 2000, when
after much pestering from her Mom; McLaughlin created a cassette of her
music. The feedback received from this
experience led McLaughlin to set up her own home recording studio and get
serious about making music for others to hear.
Fifteen albums on, and McLaughlin has become a powerhouse in the new
age/instrumental world, with awards and/or acknowledgments including the
Independent Music Awards Song of the Year; and Whisperings Solo Piano Radio
Album of the Year. McLaughlin’s latest
effort, Undercurrent, is a powerful
and moving cycle of 13 songs that demand your attention.
McLaughlin is a new age composer with a pop musician’s
heart, writing in almost a singer/songwriter style. It’s therefore not surprising to be occasionally
reminded stylistically of pop recordings as you pass through Undercurrent. The opening track, “11,000 Miles”, carries an
air of Billy Joel in its straight ahead musicality. It’s a pop anthem, unrestrained by subtlety
but thoroughly enjoyable. There’s more
nuance to “Living in Awe”, which has an emotional, if not dramatic build. The early trend on the album is not toward
finesse, but almost to a power songwriting aesthetic. Even the waterfall-like chorus of “Full of
Love” carries this impetuosity, like a child seeing new wonders of the world
for the first time.
It isn’t until “The Space Between” where we catch glimpses
of McLaughlin’s more pensive side. As
she moves into the second part of the song, however, McLaughlin’s muse storms
back with a rush, pushing with an impatient insistence the story she has to
tell. She steps back for “Undercurrent”,
but even here the quiet surface is deceptive, and the listener is soon caught
up in her musical pull. “Starstuff”
makes no bones about its push, but McLaughlin seems to draw down the intensity
on “Never Give Up”. There’s a singular
beauty to this piece, which reflects in grace and subtlety the depth of emotion
it represents. A sort of quietude
pervades “Evolution”. You might expect
that this song would follow its own title and evolve into something louder or
grander, and to a degree it does, but it is a gradual slide up the scale that
shows tremendous finesse.
“On My Own” showcases McLaughlin at her very best, with
melody, finesse and lyric grace fully integrated. This transitions into “Melody in Motion”;
starting as a plaintive waltz but becomes an aggressively melodic piece of
musical prose. McLaughlin’s cascading
piano style is imperative and impulsive and utterly without reserve. A sonic code arrives with “Stepping Stones”,
a pensive-yet-spritely meditation that’s pretty and refined. McLaughlin closes out with “Synesthesia”, a
quietly impatient number that rolls over and over itself without a sense of
where it’s going until it arrives.
Michele McLaughlin impresses with “Undercurrents”. Her compositional style is impetuous,
inpatient and often lacks a sense of subtlety, but it is also ultimately
inspired. McLaughlin isn't afraid to be
herself. She wears her heart on her
sleeve and she touches listeners with her musical honesty. It might not be for everyone, but if you get
it then you’ll find something to like here.
Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
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1 comment:
Thank you so much for this great review! I am so happy you liked the album.
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