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Aug 02, 2017 Brad Couture By Matt the Raven

Brad Couture is a composer and multi-instrumentalist whose original, and mostly instrumental, compositions are a blend of ambient, film music, and New Age that are as suitable for background music as they are for movie soundtracks.

Couture uses the soft-loud-soft dynamic, and some well-placed cello and soft guitar passages, to create sweeping cinematic soundscapes that evoke positive emotions. From peaceful and soothing to upbeat and enthusiastic, the tracks ebb and flow with subdued piano, delicate electronics, and classical ambient tendencies. The few vocal passages appear fleetingly and are quite subdued, drowned in reverb and shrouded in a haze, which amount to ethereal whispers that are blended in nicely with the music.

On the surface, the tracks work great as comforting and buoyant sonic wallpaper. But a deeper dive reveals a few flaws. The recording levels on the quiet guitar parts of “The Theater Empties Out” are set so low that the finger squeaks on the guitar strings are overheard to the point of distraction. Also, the soft-loud-soft track formula is overused and becomes tiresome by the end if the album is listened to all the way through.

Overall, the winning combination of experimental ambient and classical music with contemporary electronica techniques outweighs the few flaws resulting in a positive and pleasurable musical experience. (www.bcouturemusic.com)

Author rating: 6/10