The self-taught multi-instrumentalist Jamie Craig is back with another release- Illumination. A huge fan of Tangerine Dream, Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman, Pink Floyd and other prog notables, with the exception of the former, it is very difficult to hear these influences in his work.
As before, Craig composed, arranged and performed all tracks on Illumination. Songs vary a bit but keep close to a new age-ified Tangerine Dream in flavor. Craig introduces the violin in the first track (Lost and Found), as the featured instrument, utilizing a melody that always stays on track.
Before I get into a few critical criticisms, I want to mention that Jamie has a great gift in creating rhythms. His use of drums and rhythmic tones and riffs are toe-tapping, head-nodding, and can rival and surpass many new age bands- including some of the German New Age groups that have influenced him. Craig's use of bass and counter sequences that play off the percussion is excellent and fresh.
But bass and percussion has always been Craig's strength. Like his previous album- The Lost Dream, his rhythmic power overshadows his ability to create diverse solos. This makes Illumination, an album that new age fans will embrace, but jazz and prog fans might want to test-listen before buying.
As a prog fan, I really enjoyed the first 4 tracks, but upon re-listening, many songs began to take on a sameness, being void of many details and nuances that prog music generally showcases. Thus, by the final couple of tracks, my prog tendencies were becoming restless due to the lack of diversity, compounded by Craig's desire to seemingly play safe with his leads. Melodies and solos always seem to confine to the simplistic and rarely show dynamics of variation in speed.
Still, his music is consistent, and doesn't pretend to compete against a Planet X or a Rick Wakeman. What you see is what you get; solid, hypnotic new age music, that is not afraid to pulsate. Jamie's music would be a perfect background material for television and documentary science/hi-tech shows- likeable but never challenging.
Production-wise, Craig's album sounds great! Obviously, a lot of time and energy went into making the sound crisp and vibrant. Bravo.
Grading a new age-influenced album on a prog site is rather difficult and subjective. Especially when the performer has no pretense to embrace his excellent prog taste. Still, the album is competent and great for mediation, painting, and even doing homework.
Even if Jamie doesn't want to `progress' into more proggy territory, I would love to hear more dynamics and variety into his soloing, but to gain a greater progressive audience, he would have to drastically alter his compositional process, as well as rrefine his soloing technique. Yet, this is a no-brainer for the mello new age crowd, who do not want to be challenged.
The album `art' is a simple Photoshop job, and the visual has been done over and over in the past, but it is pleasing to the eye. As with the Lost Dream (to me), it fails to reflect the music, but it does illustrate the CD's title.
Rating 7.8 (If you are a hardcore or experimental prog fans, you need not apply. Grading is entirely subjective).
