A Promise Of Eternity
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley September 17, 2024
Artist – Jim Ottaway
Distributor: Bandcamp
Released: July 2024
Running Time: 1hr 9mins
Website: https://jimottaway.bandcamp.com/album/a-promise-of-eternity
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Once a year Award winning Australian composer Jim Ottaway releases an album of exquisite music based in the New Age Electronic fields of composition. His work is eagerly awaited and never fails to enchant.
A Promise of Eternity is once again a gem of an album with the first track, Path of Destiny, a lovely melodious composition, slightly reminiscent of the sounds of the early 1960’s captured in ethereal format. Towards the end there is a distortion of sounds which on any given day, could be easily considered as a gathering of extra-terrestrials enjoying the moment in time.
A gentle song is delivered in the beautiful Shadow Dreams, a piece that wafts across time and space to transport the mind to another realm as in dreams; beautiful, dreamy and absolutely delightful.
Once again, the suggestion of a beat from yesteryear is present in the catchy Horizons Beyond, an uplifting song with many layers of lightness within the complex layers. This is a song full of hope and enjoyment with a very, very nice acoustic climax.
Moving further down the track listing you come to the downright funky Dancing in Shadow and Light, a step away from his usual deep, melodic compositions and a track which has, dare one say it, has an excellent dance groove.
The absolutely beautiful A Promise of Eternity is Ottaway in a gentle, reflective and introspective mood. Elegant, with hints of a more formal construction washed with subtle undertones, this is one seriously enchanting piece that allows the mind to drift gently into a place of peace and relaxation.
Light Dawns is on the album twice; listed at number 3, Light Dawns (re-imagined) is a dreamy and relaxing song encouraging a sense of voyaging through time and space to discover another world. As the final track on the album it once again offers a deeper, but still gentle vibe, with which to return to this mortal coil and continue on knowing there is a gentle promise of eternity to be found.
In many ways A Promise of Eternity sees Ottaway at play, having some fun in his studio, digging deep into his vault to create some catchy, upbeat melodies. Throughout the twelve tracks there are those which are pure ambient new age, whereas others have a distinct element of the years of Vangelis and Tangerine Dream. Overall a fantastic collection to relax into and enjoy.