Colors of a New Dawn
A pleasant surprise from an unheralded Austrian composer with a borrowed name,Colors of a New Dawnis for the most part an attractive blend of guitar, piano, and atmospheric electronics that could easily appeal to fans ofDavid Arkenstone(another artist who turned to J.R.R. Tolkien for a stage name) andSecret Garden. Gandalf uses understated electronic brushstrokes to enhance his gentle pop-inclined melodies, several of which invite repeated listenings (the opening four pieces, the bell-pealing build-up of "Iris," and the title track are particularly noteworthy). Occasional audio clunkers (e.g., the whistling keyboard in "Rhythm of the Tides;" the annoying, now-clichéd use of aboriginal voices in "From Distant Shores") break the music's spell, but generally Gandalf's balance of subtle drama and twinkling-star sweetness is a winning combination. At times a passage will catch your ear that brings to mind earlyCraig Chaquico, earlyDavid Lanz, and evenMike Oldfield("Brighter Than a Star"). If you consider that to be good company, this disc might be up your cosmic-contemporary alley. --Terry Wood