This Little Light
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley December 14, 2017
Artist – Matthew Schildt
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Every now and again an album come along that simply wraps around you, designed to do nothing more than to present the pure enjoyment of listening to music well-crafted and constructed. Such is this offering from the talented Matthew Schildt with The Little Light. Taking more than two years to evolve, the end result has been well worth waiting for, as it combines a carefully selected range of styles, touching on gentle jazz tones thought to melodic piano, and a dash of indi-rock.
Morning Light, Changing Flight is unexpected as the joyful picture on the cover of the album leads to consideration of a completely difference aspect other than what is suggested in the cover picture. The lovely, warm oozy ambiance of wordless vocals, an up-tempo beat, skilful mixing, with a subtle addition of mandolin and acoustic guitar wraps around you, offering nothing but pure pleasure in the skilfully executed piece.
In Schilt’s words, Circling Sky proved to be the most challenging song to complete as it is a composite piece that developed a direction of its own during the recoding process, changing direction many times over from the original intent. When you combine wordless vocals with electric guitar, keyboard and immense talent from the artists involved, and then simply let it happen, follow the rhythm , absolute perfection has been the result, as there is a little of much entwined within the music.
Music is a form of alchemy, an alchemy which has been created in This Little Light, with once again the flow of wordless vocals creating an ambient song, offering complete relaxation with the mellow nature of the piece.
Heralding in Now The Day with a definite percussive beat, creates an almost businesslike feel, which commences briskly and then moves across into an enjoyable expressive, laid back jazz style. This then leads comfortably into Listening From The Other Room, which is definitely lazy jazz executed to perfection, as it immediately permeates the mind and soul to encourage that sense of comfort and ease that comes from this almost luxurious style. Moving on through the next track simply adds to the relaxed ambience until Shine appears which once again changes the emphasis with the addition of vocals to piano.
Mixing and blending, gently nudging the mind, tantalising the senses with things passed and remembered is Late Evening Waltz, a piece reminiscent of times gone: times when the dawning of the morning sky simply heralded in the ending of night spent in romance, having that one last endless waltz, unwilling to end the perfection of magical evening . Gentle, enjoyable but with the reminder that this last waltz is only a fleeting moment to be savoured and then tucked away to be treasured for all time.
Finally the end of a beautiful journey must arrive with Reunion, an upbeat, but soothing piece with once again a lot of much entwined, creating a fitting finale to an album which is simply pure delight and enjoyment.