CHARLY McLION

The Nature Of The Universe

Kingfisher (2001)

review by Bill Binkelman

I was never lucky enough to hear the one and only album from the European duo Double Fantasy (not to be confused with Dancing Fantasy). Their music was supposedly a wonderful blend of Berlin-school EM and highly melodic songs. So, I was pleasantly surprised when the new album from former Double Fantasy member, Charly McLion (who was partnered with Robert Schröder in the much-heralded duo) arrived at my doorstep recently.

The music on The Nature Of The Universe is an assortment of smooth grooves, chromium sheen guitar work, and catchy melodies spun around catchy and infectious rhythms of various tempos. Certainly not Berlin-esque in any way shape or form, the music instead has that distinctly European-meets-California sensibility, where urban slick meets high-tech polish. Needless to say, I like the album a lot.

There is much more variety here than the casual listener might expect, based on my comments above. The opening number, "The Gate of Time," has jazzy digital piano, swirling synths, and appealing stinging electric guitar runs, with a nice midtempo urban beat, led by snazzy high-hat cymbals. "Midnight Summer Rain" begins with synth-thunder, pulsing seductive bass-heavy rhythms, and eerie synth textures, along with more tasty guitar work. There is some sampled dialogue in the song but I'm too damn lazy to interpret it as it repeats a phrase over and over. The swaying movement of the song has a slight tropical feel to it, even as synths come and go, playing first major and then minor parts in the whole.

The variety of songs is evidenced sharply on "Dance of the Elves" which uses both acoustic and electric guitars against a backdrop of mystical-sounding keyboards in a wistful composition. The guitar is understated and nicely done. Coming from the opposite direction, the next cut, "Eye in the Sky," is a burbling, bouncing blend of synth beats, pulsing bass notes, soaring electric guitar leads, and an occasional wordless vocal refrain. Echoes of plaintive piano notes flesh out the song with a haunting air of mystery.

Production and engineering on The Nature Of The Universe are outstanding. This is one recording that truly sounds great. Considering how "busy" the mix is, everything is well-placed and balanced to perfection. This had to be tricky especially on songs that feature blistering electric guitar runs. One of my favorite pieces is "Black Hole" which, for some reason, reminds me of the best work from bassist Frank Fisher (and where has he gone to anyway?), another artist who once recorded for the now defunct Innovative Communications (IC) label. There is that same loping gait rhythm, that expert blend of assorted electronic elements, and a warm melodic accessibility that permeated Frank's music (and likewise runs through all of this CD as well).

Charly plays all the guitars and keyboards on the album with only some drum programming on one cut being provided by Peter Kuckelkorn (on "Dream Catcher"). Charly effortlessly glides through breezy numbers like "World of Fantasy" as well as imparting a Jon Durant-ish hint of menace on songs like the sexy "Rainbow Kiss." But even with some of the comparisons I have made in this review, Charly is a unique composer (as well as a gifted musician). I really can't accurately compare The Nature Of The Universe to anything else. It's much less adult contemporary than, for example, Craig Chaquico, but it's also not truly urban r 'n' b like Dancing Fantasy. Electric guitar is prominently featured in many of the cuts, yet this isn't instrumental rock and it's not prog either. I suppose if I had to classify it, I'd say it's a throwback to the better days of jazz fusion, except the music doesn't sound dated to me. Sure, some elements have that distinctly Euro-sound to them, but it's been updated to reflect a 21st century sensibility.

Encompassing an assortment of moods and textures, The Nature Of The Universe is a solid and enjoyable trip into sometimes lush and always rhythmic soundscapes, led by diverse electronic music elements and both stinging and muted electric guitar. Charly McLion has a deft touch at the fretboard and the keyboard and producer Charly Büchel knows his way around the other "boards," as well. The recording is a welcome addition to many genres, possessing the "user-friendliness" of smooth jazz and adult contemporary, but adding more depth than either along with a wider palette of sounds and musical approaches. Accessible and adventurous, I strongly recommend the album.