Acoustic Alchemy is not a very new band. They have been around for some time, and it's all good. Starting from Red Dust and Spanish Lace in 1987, the band has walked a long way. AA (Acoustic Alchemy) purists are divided in opinion in regards to their recent works. The band had a number of line up changes in the last two decades, but they always stuck to the formula of having two acoustic guitarists playing together--one with steel string (Nick Webb), and another with nylon string (Greg Carmichael).
Greg and Nick were not the founder members, but the duo has been part of the most successful period of AA. After Nick Webb's death in 1998, the band took a new direction which has divided the fans. Miles Gilderdale, a student of Greg was brought in to fill the shoes of Nick, and the rest is, in my opinion, is history.
I am using the term "In My Opinion (popularly abbreviated as IMO in the internet)" because AA purists often differ in this case. They think acoustic alchemy, as an acoustic guitar focused smooth jazz band died with the death of its original frontman Nick Webb's death. According to the purists, AA got "soldout" and diverged from the promised formula of dual acoustic guitars. This allegation might be true to a certain extent., but it lacks dept.
A listener will clearly experience the difference between the music in recent albums like "This Way", "American English" and the music in earlier albums like "Natural Elements", "Positive Thinking", etc. However, not all of these changes are bad. Acoustic Alchemy is now a modern band that can satisfy the musical needs of today's listeners without going through massive changes. The proven and tested formula has been refreshed and enhanced by newer elements; it has not been replaced. There are still two acoustic guitarists in the band, and they still do alchemy, but now the music has been enhanced with the talent of many other musicians.
Whereas past albums focused more on the sound of the acoustic guitars, new albums, including This Way, includes a wide array of instruments ranging from electric guitars, horns, saxophones to bass solos, drum beats and congo beats. Acoustic Alchemy in 2007 is very different from their 90's incarnation, but the difference is positive.
The album starts off with a lovely, soothing tune called "Love Is All There Is". The song starts with a male-female chorus which could have been left out. The tempo of the song varies, but it sticks to a slow beat. Not the best album opener, but not bad, too.
Ernie is a beautiful assimilation of reggae and latin music. The song is a tribute to a renowned Jamaican guitarist, and the tune stays truthful towards the theme. With some words spoken in Bob Marley accent (read Jamaican) thrown inside, the song is something that AA fans have never experienced before. One of the highlights of the album, but might get a bit repetitive after a while.
Who Knows is definitely one of the better instrumental pieces in the album. The song flows smoothly with a saxophone and guitar fused introduction and ends with a confused state. Yes, I thought the song perfectly portrays a confused mind, asking the question "Who knows..."
After the somewhat slow to medium tempo songs, here comes Slampop, which does not use any complex instrumentation, but constantly flows with a perfect blend of steel and nylon guitar. While Greg delivers the consistent, similar beat guitarworks, Miles pauses the upbeat song and delivers his nylon solos. Afterwards both guitarists continue to play together and deliver one of the nicest songs in the album. This truly has been the AA formula, and it works once again.
Out of Nowhere is the best song in the album, period. From the introductory guitar solo towards the drum aided middle portions and the changes of pace throughout the song is mind blowing. This is a classic AA tune and it's just too nice. The song never gets old, and it never fails to soothe the mind. Whenever I have an agitated mind, I calm myself down by playing this tune on my Ipod. This song comes out of nowhere and appeases my mind.
This Way is another beautiful song. Probably the second best song in the album. This is also a peaceful tune.
The next part of the album consists of four average tunes and a better tune. Carlos the King is a tribute to Carlos Santana. The song is played in the style of Santana's playing, but the AA condiment is also present. A great tribute from a great band to a great guitarist. Can't fail.
The other songs are nice, and grows on to you, but they are not too impressive out of the box. Egg has an interesting sound that is not too common for AA. Now I'm On My Way plays a dreamy instrumentation, but the tune isn't that great. I'd call it an experiment that did not go too well. Tied up With String should not belong to an AA album. It's not that it's a bad song, but it just doesn't sound like AA at all.
All said, this is a must buy album for any Smooth Jazz fans, and Acoustic Alchemy fans should not miss it at any cost. This Way is a pretty old album now--it came out in 2007, but still it kicks in some good songs, and you can enjoy it while driving or before falling asleep.
Rating: 8/10
Any comments will be much appreciated.
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