When I first found Jamendo, Derek's first album, On the Beach, caught my attention. It was actually the first album I downloaded. Today, it is the one I have shared the most times (share rating 5.591 as of today).
I have high hopes for this one, as well. The addition of the piano and synth was JUST what this album needed. "Colors of Life" is by far my favorite--a study in contrasts--gentle in parts, then powerful and raging, then a blizzard of melody, then reflective.
Further, I am, as always, amazed by Derek's pure and ringing guitar tone. Even his electric guitar has a vague sitarish air about it sometimes. When he switches to distortion mode, he preserves the singing tone quality of the instrument, without muddying the sound at all.
My only reservation is that this album is significantly shorter than his first. When listening, I get a sense I'm going someplace . . . perhaps traveling along with the artist through Asia and India . . . but the trip seems to end too soon. This could be the result of the collaboration. It is difficult to create a shared universe! But I can't wait for my next ticket to arrive.
(I'm burning your CD right now, man!)
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