Clouds Below

Reviewed By  Janet Mawdesley       March 24, 2023

 

Artist – 2002   

           Distributor:         

           Released:             January 2023

           Running Time:    47mins: 33secs

           Website:    https://2002music.com/clouds-below          

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Clouds Below is the latest release from the much loved progressive new age group 2002 and marks another milestone in their ever evolving development, with daughter Sarah composing the beautiful Everyday Miracles as well as a creating a beautiful video clip to accompany City Blue.

The album was born of Randy’s desire to pilot a plane, which he eventually did, becoming immersed in the beauty to be found above the earth from a small plane. The cloud formations, so splendid above and below the plane captured his artistic imagination and so Clouds Below came into existence.

Each of the pieces represents the delicate and yet strong majesty full of contrast to be discovered in the ever-changing the skies that surround us. Each element dependant on the other to create the many elements that grace our world. The contrast between majesty and might apparent.

Putting first things first though, the album is introduced with a gentle and whimsical song Soul Mate which is in its style, almost the signature of the group – slightly mystical, with gentle threads of the instruments capturing the emotion within the song. A delightful, cheeky flourish makes a quirky pause within the piece. Delightful.

The elegant Glimmering Hope is enchanting, mellow and immensely relaxing. A feeling of drifting is very apparent as the notes of the piano unfold, to be later joined by violin which adds a gentle sense of dreaming to a bewitching piece.

A stand out song, City Blue, is a shift away from the more mystical pieces, with a sinuously rich element of saxophone added from Ryan McCulough. This is a slightly new direction for 2002, or possibly one area that is ready for further exploration, as the piece simply oozes with feeling; sultry and captivating, that of a City on a ‘blue’ day. An end note to this piece is that it was originally written more than twenty years ago, before becoming lost on a corrupt hard drive. Ryan McCulough played saxophone on the original recording.

Clouds Below, the signature tune recreates the monotone of a small engine as it carries a plane through the skies, the singular brackets of notes interspersed within the hum slowly broaden in scope to capture the impressive beauty and immensity of the surrounding sky.

Everyday Miracles is a graceful conclusion to a completely charming album, with the notes of the piano joined by delicate violin, adding an almost classical element a finely tuned, once again sensuous, drifting piece which makes a perfect farewell until next time.