A gorgeously reflective piano-driven sound enamors within Cage of Time, the new album from Seamus O’Muineachain. The Belmullet, Ireland-based artist recorded the album entirely on an “old creaky piano” — after initially recording the songs digitally with a MIDI keyboard. The shift to a weathered, timeless-sounding piano is a fitting choice for O’Muineachain’s meditations on time, written while he waited out a slow bureaucratic process. The piano’s nostalgic imperfections reflect the album’s central theme: that time, when treated as a rigid metric, can lock us into recurring psychological patterns.
The release’s gripping, intimate sound immerses right away with opening track “Far.” A lushly melodic drive navigates seamlessly, as the occasional piano creaks infuse like a delicate rhythmic component. The ensuing “Short Piece For Sleeping Lovers” exudes a more initial vibrancy, with a brightened piano tone alluring throughout the track’s one-minute span. “Until The Lighthouse” continues this hopeful tonal feeling, glistening into a repetition of impactful chords as a more prancing elegance takes hold into the track’s emotive conclusion.
Another standout track, “Ponder” is fittingly named — unveiling a late-night quality in its layered piano lines, fitting for reading by a crackling fireplace. Elsewhere, “Auditorium” consumes in its range of low and high-pitched piano work, moving cohesively from each section with artful precision. Leaving a strong mark with its quaint though fulfilling piano work, Cage of Time is a beautifully crafted success from Seamus O’Muineachain.
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We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
