New Age/Ambient Review: Cheryl B. Engelhardt-Luminary
Release Date: February 7, 2020
Label: Independent
The eye-catching cover of Cheryl B. Engelhardt’s album Luminary gives a potential audience an idea of what they may be in for. It is placid, beautiful, and very inviting. What I was to learn rather quickly is that the tracks that encompass this collection are reflective of that spiritual image on the cover artwork.
The
two primary instruments used on this ambient new age journey are the
piano and Cheryl’s vocals. The music is quite different, in a way that I
am not used to hearing in the genre. It is all in a good way though.
The
tracks have a fade out and fade in aspect to them and they are
interspersed at times with Cheryl’s angelic vocalizations. Most of her
vocals are not actual words but an exercise of sounds that are pleasing
and as alluring as the music behind them. I hear a classical influence
which is what is common throughout presentations in the genre,
particularly with instrumentals. While you do get some stretched out
instrumentals like “Earthshine,” which are soothing and meditative, they
last over six minutes. There is not one track under six minutes on the
recording. It all works very well for this type of music due to the
changing tides of the movements, sounds, colors, and overall atmospheres
that are created.
The time is well spent for those who enjoy
this type of music for general relaxation or deep meditation. If you are
looking for deep meditation you can start right at the beginning and
listen all the way through for one fantastic session of beauty, peace,
and realignment of your soul (or chakras dependent on your philosophy
and beliefs). I think the soul and chakras are interchangeable, if you
take all the chakras you have in one human being with all the elements
that make up that individual, they are the very soul within.
Luminary
is referred to as “gentle exciting” on the artist Bandcamp page. While I
did not relate to the album that way, I did find great value in the
essence of the complete presentation of voice, sounds, and music. There
are a lot of different things going on and some effects that give it
that mystical and spiritual feel through each track. “Mortal Tides” (I
added it to my New Age Music Reviews Spotify Playlist) has some
interesting effects on Cheryl’s voice and breathing. This can be
considered as a release within the song. Breathing certain ways can give
the body a chance to completely relax then other things can happen like
opening the mind and spirit to the offerings your hearing. I believe
that is the true intent of this music.
Luminary is one of
the more unique recordings I have heard this year from the new age
genre. I do not like to use that word very often, unique. It says that
music is a standalone accomplishment without trying to emulate or take
something that works from another artist. I would have to say in all
honesty that this is very original work, unlike anything I have heard
before. Everyone has their influences and favorite artists but you may
be hard-pressed to understand what this lady’s influences are.
The
phase music approach is very different, the way it moves in an out of
the song and the way Cheryl uses it with the instrumentation, voice, and
breath. I can promise you this, you will not hear anything else like Luminary.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
August 3, 2020
Track List:
01. Sister of Eos 06:14
02. Deliquesce 06:04
03. Earthshine 06:05
04. M. aurora 06:17
05. Mortal Tides 06:10
06. Galileo's Rings 06:11
07. Moon Harvest 06:17
08. Ataraxy 06:13
09. Glisten Up 06:14
10. Bioluminescence 06:08