Contemporary New Age Instrumental Review and Interview: Neil Patton-The Small Hours

Release Date: October 18, 2024

Label: Independent

Website

Neil Patton's The Small Hours comprises many stories from one night. These are musical narratives of the nighttime hours as they are experienced worldwide. Spawned largely during the stressful months of pandemic shutdowns and social turmoil, these pieces were a source of solace and peace as Neil intentionally composed in a quieter vein. (Info derived from the artist).

 

I thought that would be a good way to start things off with discussing this music, giving each potential listener a glimpse into the how and why of this project of contemporary instrumental solo piano new-age music. You will discover one hour and ten minutes of relaxing and reflective piano music for the soul. It was recorded from September to December of 2023.

 

"Day's End" is the beginning of this journey, which gives one pause, as any good music would. Neil's piano is a soft invitation into his world, a lovely way to begin the recording. Close to five minutes of building chords and then bringing down the level give you a feeling of the emotions one can experience during a few hours of passing time.

 

"We Will Tell the Stories" Melody is a free-flowing and airy track with a similar approach to the previous track, which builds up and then steps down. This pace allows a listener to reflect on the tones and vibrations that vary within one composition. Once you become cognizant of that element, you hear it all differently and more reverently.

 

"Goodnight, Daddy" puts a twinkle and maybe a tear or two in your eye if you have the privilege of being a dad. I think about my children when they are little but enjoy and appreciate the people they have become. The sadness of the music made me wish I could go back in time to those days for just one day to remember all the joy they brought to me and my wife and when they were kids, too. I hope someday they will have the same rewarding experiences that we had.

 

Those are three examples of how a track’s title, meaning, and music that expresses those words become real. If you listen to music like I do, you will know precisely what that can mean.

 

Contemporary new-age instrumentals are very popular for piano solo work. I hear a good share of compositions in this range of musical styles on a regular basis. Thus, the challenge is to hear something that is actually different and gets my attention. The artist's role is to immediately capture the listener's interest and hold it from start to finish.

 

I think that is a monumental task, and for one to accomplish it is incredible. Neil Patton can get into that groove and hold you from the opening track to the last note.

 

I wanted to give the first three tracks as examples of the flow and range of sound you are going to hear, along with the emotional canvas it is going to create in the framework of your mind. I think as an attentive listener, which many of you are, you like to get a view of what to expect and then find your own meaning and relatedness to some of the things I may mention.

 

In the context of emotions, I cannot fathom what one artist must go through in creating 15 tracks like The Small Hours. It sounds complex and encapsulates a perspective of one's thoughts, feelings, and emotions being captured into a musical composition translated through the piano's keys.

 

As Neil Patton's music flowed from his fingers, it evoked many emotions: reflection, sadness, and satisfaction. It compelled me to delve into my innermost thoughts. But this is experiential music. On the other side of this profound experience, you can cleanse your mind of all thoughts and find a place of peace within. This is the transformative power of instrumental music, the all-encompassing reach of the piano.

 

Give yourself the gift of Neil Patton's music. Let it unwind you, take you on a journey, and cleanse your mind. Once you've experienced its power, share it with a friend or loved one. I can promise you they will be grateful for the experience. It only takes one hour and ten minutes of your day or evening to realize the impact this music can have on you and those around you.

 

Only in The Small Hours can we really appreciate the solace and grace of the piano with that one special person sitting at it, creating something from nothing into a beautiful piece of art. And that is exactly what Neil Patton does. When the night passes and "Daybreak" arrives (the last track), we can feel energized and ready for the new day, do it all over again, and come back full circle to find that energy in the music to invigorate our mind, body, and soul repeatedly.

 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Reviews Founder

October 14, 2024

Tracks:

01. Day's End 4:55

02. We Will Tell the Stories 3:46

03. Goodnight Daddy 3:10

04. Good to See You Again 5:09

05. Above the Treetops 3:54

06. A Room with a View 5:20

07. Falling Up 4:53

08. The Moon and Sun Dance 3:27

09. A Prayer in the Darkness 4:05

10. The Small Hours 3:40

11. Trust 5:34

12. Shame and Grace 4:23

13. This Grief Lies Down Beside Me 4:36

14. Nightwalk (Be Thou My Vision) 5:28

15. Daybreak 7:13