Customer Reviews

Arrival

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"Arrival" is the very impressive debut of Devin Rice and Erin Aas as a duo. Both artists have had long careers in music, but they met in WA in 2006 and started playing together to see what their vastly different musical backgrounds would yield. The results eventually landed them in Will Ackerman's Imaginary Road Studios working with the award-winning Ackerman as producer and the legendary Corin Nelsen as engineer. With that team onboard, it's needless to say that the production quality is stellar. Six of the fifteen tracks are acoustic guitar and piano duets; the others feature both artists on acoustic guitar with occasional accompaniment by artists from the Imaginary Road roster. The music itself is gentle and thoughtful, yet it doesn't become repetitive. It's great music for relaxing or even for a long drive. This style of music always reminds me of the beauty of the simple things in life.

"Arrival" begins with "Thyn Ayre," a soulful guitar duet that has Devin Rice doubling on bass. A bit melancholy, the piece has a sense of moving forward but with perhaps a twinge of regret. I really like this one a lot! "Procession" is another favorite. Devin plays piano and guitar while Erin plays guitar and shaker; Derrick Jordan accents the rhythms on djembe. It's a beautiful combination! "Tribute to Robert Frost" puts Devin's piano in the foreground with Erin accompanying on guitar - a slow, easy-going ballad. "Nevada" is another favorite. It's a guitar duet with a variety of light percussion instruments propelling it. "Something About a Harbor" is a soothing trio for piano, guitar, and cello (Eugene Friesen). The gently flowing tempo and graceful melody create a tranquil mood. "Morning With Annie" reunites the trio plus Devin on bass. Tender and very contented, the piece exudes warmth and peace. "Waterfall" is my favorite track. A piano/guitar duet with additional bass and shaker, it's a bit darker than some of the other tracks, but still very peaceful. "Whiskey in the Watertower" really cuts loose and has fun. Devin and Erin are on guitar with light percussion, and Will Ackerman joins in for a guitar solo of his own. The closing track is the sweet and loving "Lullaby for Now." Devin is on bass, Erin on guitar, and Eugene Friesen returns on cello. Sigh....

"Arrival" should please anyone who loves acoustic guitar music with piano, cello, and other acoustic instruments keeping it simple and from the heart.

Solo instrumental albums are a natural source of personalized music, so when two reputable soloists merge their individual talents, their alliance from soloists to duettists can become an even more valuable source of personified music for everyone.

Devin Rice & Erin Aas are seasoned musicians already recognized by their proficient styles as individual artists now emerging as a team that writes and performs original piano / guitar and finger styled guitar duet compositions with hand selected musicians adding polished accompaniments on their new release titled Arrival. Residing in the state of Washington, Devin & Erin had also traveled to Imaginary Road Studios in rural Vermont to enlist the expertise of Grammy Award winning Will Ackerman, so the level of quality on the album's production retraces their visit to a highly specialized destination.

Arrival is an album where Devin plays piano in addition to guitar along with Erin, showcasing their 15 song compilation that is adventuresome and symmetrical from the first song to the last. After meeting for the first time several years ago, I felt their earlier mainstay as professional soloists has been doubled and enhanced using simple math, along with their broad variance in individual styles.

Thyn Ayre is the crisp beginning song that sounds like a down to earth journey put to sheet music, like Procession, where a wonderful just right feel becomes the standard atmosphere. These folk styled narratives flourish during the piano and guitar duets set in a moderate tempo like most of the 15 songs.

Borderline is a breezy guitar duet by Erin and Devin, while their Tribute to Robert Frost expresses a more stately approach that includes percussion rhythms backing majestic piano melodies with subtler acoustic guitar highlights. Lively acoustic guitar and percussion rhythms are heard on the memorable song Nevada, while Something About A Harbor has piano lead in for guitar, with rich melodic tones showing depth in a natural way. Perdido En Granada, Lullaby For Now & For JB are gentle and more introspective songs with English horn and cello support that compliment the pleasing atmosphere.

Whiskey In The Watertower is truly spirited and a nicely coordinated guitar duet, featuring Will Ackerman on the final guitar solo that resembles Pulborough Spring by taking an up-tempo direction from the primarily moderate paced piano and guitar duets with instrumentals. Rich cello harmonics are the scenic backdrop in songs, Morning With Annie, Southern Breeze, & Stars of Winter, with the latter song taking an adventurous free flight expression during the melody and refrains that gently lands with guitar, cello, and piano uniting in an ensemble.

Although solo albums are a mainstay and pleasing source of enjoyment, Arrival is a nice departure from singular solo albums given the enriching instrumentals and contrasting styles of the two principal soloists. This departure notably doubles the harmonic value for the listener, along with Devin & Erin who have doubled their musical achievements together as a team, and as individuals.

Devin Rice & Erin Aas, have selected skilled artists along with Grammy Award winning producer Will Ackerman, to emerge as a fortified musical team, and by virtue of each artist's specialized skills, has attained a winning strategy with Arrivial. Additional musicians include Derrick Jordan on djembe with Eugene Friesen & Traci Hoveskeland giving cello performances on several tracks. Jill Haley lends her talents on English horn and Will Ackerman is featured in the final guitar performance.

As an amateur guitarist, I love guitar albums. However, I hate guitar duet albums. Unless one person is playing steel string and the other nylon, or one is playing electric and the other acoustic, you never know who is playing what.

That having been said, Arrival is one of the best guitar albums I have ever heard, even though it is primarily an album of guitar duets. I say primarily because although many of the tunes are guitar duets, many tracks also contain guitar and piano duets as well as accompaniment by other instruments. Erin Aas focuses on guitars and also plays shakers on one or two songs, while fellow guitarist Devin Rice does double duty on piano, congas, and shakers. A couple of additional musicians add cello and other instruments to the mix here and there.

Aside from the numbers on which Rice plays piano and Aas plays guitar, and aside from a couple of notations regarding who plays a guitar solo on one or two tracks, it really doesn't matter who's playing what. The music is beautiful, owing to thoughtful, lyrical compositions and top-notch performances. This is true guitar heaven, a stellar achievement in the New Age genre wrought by six or twelve strings.

As a collection of songs, this CD is perfect from beginning to end, with no one track more memorable or outstanding than another. Every tune is exquisite, but if I had to pick a couple of absolute favorites, they would have to be the percussive and propulsive "Nevada" with its strong melodic hooks and "Whiskey in the Watertower" with its ringing guitar chords. There's nary a lull on the album, unless you count the closing "Lullaby for Now," but what do you expect from a lullaby? Plus, it's a quietly stirring piece and an appropriate coda for the set.

Devon Rice and Erin Aas have strung together a guitar album of such high caliber that I could see this being released by Narada, Higher Octave Music, Guitar 9 Records, Steve Vai's Favored Nations, or Windham Hill Records/Private Music, whose legendary founder, Will Ackerman, serves as the CD's producer and contributes some of his own guitar brilliance to one track. Arrival is an appropriate title as it marks an auspicious debut for Rice and Aas. Hopefully it is just the first of several collaborations from these highly talented and expressive guitarists.

The true base of our world

Is harmony and joy

"Arrival" is the debut album of a guitar duo Devin Rice and Erin Aas which was recorded at the famous Imaginary Road Studios. The producer of this wonderful release is legendary Will Ackerman. Maybe that is why the sound of this album is distinguished by extraordinary transparency and purity. Also, this music is penetrated by attention to the smallest detail.

Devin Rice and Erin Aas both are really talented artists. Their guitar combination is like a talk between two old and very dear friends. Each guitar is melted with the other one and they form a unique style which has a special aroma. You can listen to the melodious music of "Arrival" and easily feel it in nuances, breathe its taste in.

Moreover, the music of Devin Rice and Erin Aas has a meditative quality. Their refined tunes have a silence within. Additional instruments like piano, cello or various percussions emphasize the beauty of the music on "Arrival". It is filled with inner joy. This project imbues the listener with its sincere optimism.

Devin Rice and Erin Aas are versatile artists. They, without particular effort, play any complicated composition.

Listen to the remarkable album of Devin Rice and Erin Aas and discover the source of an inexhaustible love and creation which is deeply in your heart.

Serge Kozlovsky

[...]

This album is fresh and peaceful but yet full of energy. For those who love acoustical guitar this album is a must. For those.driving in heavy traffic this album will make the drive peaceful. Well done.....