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ARTIST: Bill Cornish
SONG: The Road Less Traveled
GENRE: New Age
The Road Less Traveled features a flute and piano, accompanied with various keyboard sounds
(although most of them are imitating traditional instruments). Extremely well produced and structured,
this is a new age work of very high standards.
Mr. Cornish’s music has a lot of world and jazz influences to it, and this is no exception. Although the
tonal center of this work is mainly western, you can see many other influences sprinkled throughout the work.
The piano plays energetic harmonic lines, while the flute plays very lyrical melodies over it. Keyboards
provide harmonic and rhythmic support, as well as changes of color in the song. Although people will probably
have differing opinions on this one, but I think the audible breaths that the flutists takes add a nice
touch to the song, giving the work a more down-to-earth feeling. The melodic and harmonic lines work nicely
with each other, and the transitions between each section are very smooth.
Although there is a lot of variation in this song for sure, for my taste I could use a key change
somewhere in the track. The ending phrases especially, which usually hold the biggest potential as the most
exciting part of the song, were a little disappointing when I found that it was repeating earlier phrases
and already heading for the exit. I hear a climax at mid-3 minute something, and I could also see the song
potentially ending as early as the mid-4 minute mark. Instead, though, it spends a good two minutes or so “
unwinding” from the climax, and with earlier phrases being thrown in it loses quite a bit of its
effectiveness and impact.
The flute is particularly known for it’s exceptional agility and it’s ability to hit extremely high notes.
Personally I would’ve liked to see more virtuostic lines written for the flute. The lyrical passages were
very nice, but it doesn’t feel like the instrument has been used to its full potential. The range that the
flute plays in stays pretty low throughout, and when it hits high, it never goes beyond the “comfort range”,
despite the fact that the flute becomes much much more audible at the extreme ranges. But then again who
cares about this #$#) anyway? If it sounds nice it sounds nice.
Don’t let my long winded critiques scare you away from this song. This is actually very nice new age work,
worthy of at least a listen. Or two. Decide for yourself! (But if you did that why would you be reading this
review?)
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