Love by Paul Avgerinos

Love by Paul Avgerinos
RoundSkyMusic.com (2009) 63:17 minutes
www.roundskymusic.com
Review by Kate Russell

Seeing in technicolour, feeling goosebumps and a slowly spreading pleasant warmth. What`s this feeling? It`s “Love” by Paul Avgerinos.

Touchingly dedicated to his parents, who Avgerinos credits with showing him “… by their selflessness and devotion, what true Love really is”, this hour and a bit, nine track album is an uplifting, dreamy and sensual trip to the realms of love in some of its many different forms.

From the first notes of ‘Love Is’, the title track from the album, you know you are in for a delicious listening experience. It`s not often I get so excited at first listen - the mix of mellow, compelling melodies with delicate chiming accompaniment builds excitement for the tracks to come. This is an album with a wide variety of instruments on it - and as such, feels wonderfully rich to listen to.

‘Acceptance’ is a slow, reflective piece moved along by slide guitar melody and a sparkling backing track giving the impression of tree leaves rustling in the wind - like a walk through the park on a summer`s day. ‘Oceans of Bliss’ takes the listener down into the depths of a watery world with synth-sounding melody and ripple-like chimes alongside ocean sounds.

But after being sumbmerged in bliss, it`s only sensible that the next step to take is ‘Seven Deep Breaths’ - a foray into a higher warmer tone of piece that has a mysterious far-eastern sound and within which slow string melodies breathe life and mystery into the track.

‘Surrender’ seems to me the stand out track on this album. Sharp and echoey sounds drum in the wind melody with an air of tentative excitement that creates a welcome change of direction in the album, whilst ‘Healing’ Touch is a tenderly played track that trembles with emotion.

‘Rivers of Love’ is a flute driven, other-worldly sounding piece with an echoing wistfulness of synth effects.

Returning to the watery depths in ‘Tranquil’; whale calls and wind melody beckon the listener to a safe reflective space in time, with ‘Always Within You’ as a dreamy and sparkling swansong for the album.

As diverse as the arrangements in this album are, I would recommend taking the time to listen to it in its entirety, rather than track by track. This is not the sort of album you pick up and listen to one or two favourite tracks before changing CDs. “Love“ is an album to get lost in - a pleasantly healing and indulgent way to spend sixty minutes. Whether smitten with new love, celebrating found love or reflecting on lost love, this is a perfect album to fall in love with.

Kate Russell is a singer/songwriter and busker from Vancouver, up until recently performing under the stage name Jadis Gloom (www.myspace.com/jadisgloom). Currently she is taking some time out from her solo music projects to write, listen to other styles of music and gain inspiration from other artists and their own creative journeys. Believing that to look into someone’s art is also to look inside their soul, she enjoys the intimate opportunities for understanding others in new ways that being a music critic provides.