You Are All I See [CD]

Active Child is the working alias of Los Angeles-based composer
Pat Grossi. 'You Are All I See' must immediately take its place among
the year's finest releases. (What an abundance of riches 2011
has given us!) Mr Grossi's music has an extraordinary breadth of
vision; epic, opulent and incandescently uplifting, the ten tracks
in this collection unite a classical-prog sensibility with right-here
right-now rhythm. Our host truly understands the magic inherent in the
human voice and his voice is, indeed, magical (I understand he was a
choirboy in an earlier incarnation and it shows). It is an instrument which
soars untethered in the big blue realm of the sky. His sense of harmonic
structure, too, is simply outstanding. There is something almost hymn-like
permeating these densely-layered compositions which speaks to the spirit
as much as the intellect. The term "uplifting" barely defines it. I know
I've said it before and elsewhere but this music really does make the world
a better place and in these difficult times that's got to be a good thing!

The songs are largely slow to mid-paced in tempo but we do not require
greater acceleration than this to make our hearts beat faster. Take 'Way
Too Fast' as but one glorious example : the gently pulsing rhythm and
swooping vocal cadences, fractured here and there with subtle electronic
treatments, create an almost eerie alchemical ritual of sound. Mr Grossi
possesses a fearless and perfectly modulated falsetto which shapes the
well-crafted lyrics into patterns which seem almost liquid in character.
'Hanging On', too, employs shape-shifting choral accents to support the
remarkably soulful central vocal performance. It made my jaw go slack
with pure wonder and admiration (and we're talking a very big jaw here!)
'Johnny Belinda' is a sad tale plaintively told; a modern day requiem
but we must look to the opening track 'You Are All I See' to experience
the full breadth of Mr Grossi's singular vision; a Highland air of-sorts,
studded with harp-like arpeggios and Blade Runner synth intrusions, it brought
tears to this old Wolf's eyes and made the long night a less desolate place.

Simply Breathtaking.

Essential.

I absolutely love this album, too bad it doesnt have the extra songs so it could be even better.
I'm very happy with this purchase

Flawless album. Ends with a bang (final track 'Johnny Belinda')... Check out the latter, a most wonderful & hugely atmospheric video online...