Claire Bigley has been mastering the ivories since she was a child. Music has been a form of expression for her all her life, and she has been able to carve a niche for it. Working as a teacher, musical director and establishing her own sound, there isn’t much she hasn’t explored. This is her latest album, Emergence.
Her previous album was titled Love Letters at the time of Covid. It was a structurally relevant series of compositions, and the piano sang through the troubles while she directed. Quieting Tremors might be just the opening track, but it shows the mastery she has found of the instrument she loves. The phrasing is airtight, there is no percussion but relies on her internal clock. An emotional piece, it renders perseverance and patience as an entity and creates a feeling of longing.
The next track is Solitude, which she had released as a single in 2021. The compressed bass notes linger near your left ear as the lead serenades you. The depth lies in the choice of notes, they aren’t littered across. Moreover, each note she chooses to place reflect on the emotion that would be brought about. It is a mature, experienced way of arranging music-and Claire Bigley seems to be a gifted composer.
Flood out the noise
Ambient sounds are allowed to flood in on the next track. Awaken the Deep has sounds of birds chirping, the lightness and organic birth and decay of nature. The notes come closer together now, as if in awe of their sight. Like poetry in motion, no words are spoken but the ability to translate something from the heart remains key. Becoming employs the synth drone for the first time, a hybrid from the purer piano compositions that were. It allows another layer of suspense to be added. At this stage of metamorphosis, you are just a bystander. Watching change as an out-of-body experience.
The sounds and tides change for the next track. Ancestral Blessings is a live recording, so this take shows Claire Bigley raw and unfiltered. In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful and wholesome compositions. Ranging through several emotions-she controls and guides you through each with her masterful playing. Souljourn brings the strings in to create a natural flow that imitate the ambient rain that we hear. The moments are truly allowed to marinate before moving from scene. This is a cinematic, dramatic direction which doesn’t feature her on her primary instrument.
When the keys speak
The ambient version of Solitude makes a change through the context. It makes a difference, and each has their preference over which track they prefer. Hearing the sounds of nature with echoing synths is something I love, and the depth of each note becomes more apparent.
The final track is the title track, and it might be a trailer for something more. Claire uses all the layers she’s used so far to make another elegant approach at a melodic arrangement. To say at the least, it sustains a song with minimal and effective notes. Claire Bigley uses her experience to guide her music, and it is channeled through her honed ability to filter out the noise. The result is an enigmatic instrumental album, something that touches parts of your soul. The curated numbers speak volumes and Claire is responsible in making the mix so profound and mysterious.
Listen to her album here:
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.
Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
