ANAEL

Language of the Soul

APSIS Music (2000)

review by Bill Binkelman

It would be easy (although appropriate) to merely suggest that fans of Enya should rush out and buy this latest album from vocalist Anael (assisted by keyboardist/instrumentalist Bradfield). And that would, in fact, be true. It's impossible to imagine that fans of either of the multiple platinum neo-Celtic artist would not enjoy Language of the Soul. Anael's voice, while not multi-tracked to death like Enya's, is strong, vibrant and lovely beyond my ability to describe it. And, like Enya, she sings in a variety of languages (English, Latin, Hebrew). And the lyrics also share that curious blend of overt spirituality, mysticism, and new age metaphysics. But, Anael is no clone, rest assured of that.

Opening with the gentle ballad "Come Raggio di Soleil," the album's strengths are revealed right away: superb instrumental composition which mix keyboards and other instruments by Bradfield are married to an almost literally angelic vocal from Anael. On this particular song, the Latin lyrics meld perfectly with the flowing melody, rivaling the best that Enya has produced, in my opinion. "Lingering Stratus," the next song, is more of a "song" than most of Enya's material. It almost approaches pop sensibility at times and also features the "Enigma-esque" touch of Gregorian chanting, albeit used very sparingly. However, the rhythms are not sultry but more mainstream and accessible. What struck me by the second song on this CD was the extremely high production quality and the instrumental proficiency of Bradfield, who is credited with composing and performing all the music on Language of the Soul. No literal instrument credit is listed so I don't know how much is keyboards and how much is other instruments. But if it is mostly synthesized, it's high quality stuff.

If you're opposed to anything that has even a slight "new age" feel to it, you may not like this recording, although I believe the spirituality is completely sincere and heartfelt. However, even allowing for this comment, the music and singing on the CD is such great listening that, even if the lyrics are somewhat more spiritual than the norm (with song titles like "Who Made Thee Flesh" you'll see what I mean), I found myself captivated by Anael's truly angel-like voice while I was equally impressed by the professional and accomplished compositional skills of Bradfield.

Normally I don't enjoy vocal albums as much as I found myself doing with Language of the Soul. While I can't (and never do, as a rule) comment on lyrical content quality (who am I to judge lyrics, after all), I can state that the CD is highly listenable and very rewarding from an emotional standpoint. The music itself is not "light" but the experience of listening to it is quite positive and affirming. Part of this is, no doubt, owing to Anael's voice. The other part of this is Bradfield's catchy yet never sugary or overly pop songs. There is more than enough "going on" in these compositions to hold the attention of the more jaded music fan. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that Language of the Soul is a lot more interesting (and in my opinion, just flat out better) than the last two Enya releases. While not as lush or "ethereal," the blend of instruments with Anael's voice is much more balanced and "human."

So, I can recommend this CD on a variety of levels. It's a great vocal release for fans of the genre. Anael's voice is crystalline pure and beautiful to hear. In addition, the music is varied yet always with a leaning to accessible melody without descending into pure pop formula, either. The electronic keys on the album are first rate; this recording flat out sounds great. The only caveat I can issue is that the lyrics (those that are in English) are sometimes unabashedly spiritual in essence. Not "new agey" (no crystals or pyramids here), but rooted in traditional Western religions instead. So, if you're an atheist, consider yourself forewarned. However, even a solid agnostic like yours truly found himself enchanted with Anael's singing and the gentle strains of the music. Frankly, I was surprised at my own reaction. But after more than five listenings, I realized that I couldn't foist my bias on this review. Language of the Soul is a very solid vocal and instrumental recording. As I stated in the beginning, I think Enya fans will be missing the boat of they pass this one up.