Fans of melodic EM should find plenty to appreciate in this very good offering from American musician Craig Padilla. Starting with the deceptively light and airy 'Angel' , simple bright piano leads dance around light percussion and a bubbly, bouncing bass line. Though it sounds like middle to late eighties period Tangerine Dream, the echoing atmospherics also have strong hints of Patrick O'Hearn. Lest one finds this too lightweight, then check out the amazing Ron Boots impersonation on "Vast Emotions", a 16-minute romp through bright sequences, pounding beats, and a healthy dose of electronics to go with it. Layer upon layer is added, and I'd swear I'm listening to an outtake from Boots "Detachment Of Worldly Affairs" or "Different Stories and Twisted Tales" CD. The similarity is really quite remarkable. After this high dose of energy, "The Gift" gives pause to recover, sounding a bit new age but very nicely arranged. Padilla has very good, tight compositions, as opposed to long improvisations, at least on this CD. "One" begins with birds, then adds long, flowing majestic synths. They build to a crescendo, then level off. The piece has a very symphonic feel, with a sense of grandeur. Midway through, the theme changes, and it ventures back into more electronic territory, with another Boots-like pulsing bass line. Then the majestic theme returns, blending the symphonic and electronic elements very well to finish the piece. A slow, very pretty sequence begins "Night Rain" , with acoustic guitar effectively melded into the mix. The addition of powerful electric guitar by Al Mires gives this track a more pop/rock feel, but it still fits in fine with the rest of the CD. The disc concludes with the 28 ½ minute title track. A beautifully constructed piece, it explores a variety of themes and moods, with excellent sequencing and sounds. It develops slowly at first, then picks up speed with its very strong sequencing, which builds in intensity as layers are added. The energy peaks, and then seems to drop off at just the right time, ending in a wonderful pool of spacey electronic sounds. Despite the obvious influences mentioned, Padilla has fashioned his own sound, adding a great deal of warmth to the skillful sequencing and electronics.
