Release Date: August 1, 2018
Label: House in the Wood Productions
Barbara Hills likes to refer to her music as “painting sound.” Interesting enough is the fact that she does paint, and flowers are her specialty. One of the examples is the cover of her latest release The Flowers Suite. What you find out after hearing her music is how these two things can go hand in hand.
I also have referred many times over the years to music as taking a blank canvas a filling it with colors, feelings, atmospheres, and life. In the same thought process, any listener can then do the same while and paint their own canvas in their mind. I always have been able to create some kind of running story or images listening to moving instrumental music. With The Flowers Suite I found that ability to do so quite easily, it was a natural transition. She also takes sounds of nature and her surroundings and blends it with her music to get a wonderful result.
What I appreciated the most about The Flowers Suite was how eclectic it was. All twelve tracks have their own personality, a different painting if you will from the multi-talented artist. The most moving songs for me were “Sweet William,” it captured my imagination and stirred my spirit, then “Hedgerow Walk” really got my attention. The “Hedgerow Walk” is an entertaining 16 minutes of progressive ambient instrumental music. Granted 16 minutes is a long run for any track however if it is done properly it can mesmerize the listener. In the case of this particular a musical stretching of thoughts and forms, it most certainly sounded like music being painted into your consciousness. I think the end result is quite amazing. It is a great example of an artist using all of the talents and instrumentations at her disposal to create something special and memorable for the instrumental music fan.
If you happen to fancy ambient music with some changing scenery this will be a real pleasure. It is all done with a new age flair and a solid foundation of classical to hold it all together. It is an omnibus of sounds and colors conjoining to make a beautiful painting.
The Flowers Suite is a triumph of sound and art for Barbara Hills. I am certain that any instrumental music fan can find appreciation somewhere amongst the bounty of sounds that this talented lady provides. I think this recording could serve as soundtrack music for the film industry or for an individual searching to create their own soundtrack or painting in the mind's eye. I highly recommend giving this album a thorough listen as there is so much just waiting for you to discover!
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
August 30, 2018
Founder of:
Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews
Tracks:
01. Love-In-A-Mist
02. Among Lilies
03. Through Iris Halls
04. The First Snowdrop
05. When Cherry Blossoms Fall
06. On Hawkweed Bank
07. Sweet William
08. Forget-Me-Nots
09. Creeping Buttercup
10. Where Heather Grows
11. Hedgerow Walk
12. Canyons Of The Black Tulip
01. Love-In-A-Mist
02. Among Lilies
03. Through Iris Halls
04. The First Snowdrop
05. When Cherry Blossoms Fall
06. On Hawkweed Bank
07. Sweet William
08. Forget-Me-Nots
09. Creeping Buttercup
10. Where Heather Grows
11. Hedgerow Walk
12. Canyons Of The Black Tulip
