Ben Moore-Morris is a young pianist/songwriter/composer who
has just released his first album I remember eleven tracks each of which features Moore-Morris’s piano playing along with
Karin Fransson’s vocals. Moore-Morris is a self taught pianist with an interest
in film music and his web-site describes him as a cinematic composer. The disc
has eleven tracks on it, all reassuringly long (over five minutes) with an
indication that Moore-Morris is not frightened of trying to develop his
material, in fact I would rather have liked a couple of seriously long tracks
with substantial, more highly developed pieces on them. Of the eleven tracks, five are purely instrumental.
Walk with Me is a large scale lyrical ballad, the form evidently preferred by Moore-Morris and it features the characteristics which reoccur in all the pieces on the disc; an elaborate, nicely flowing keyboard part and very romantic strings. In all the pieces of the disc Moore-Morris has a penchant for striking piano melodies and textures surrounded by echoing strings.
Stay in my dream is an elaborate, romantic piano solo, Just a thought is a more up tempo song which is hauntingly evocative. For the instrumental Pure uncertainty Moore-Morris introduces some interesting multi-tracking resulting in some quite interestingly busy piano work.
As Moore-Morris is a keyboard based songwriter, his music features the piano at the tore, in surprisingly mobile and elaborate textures and different figurations. For the instrumental A Child's life he introduces the celeste, resulting in some fascinating textures. Some of the later numbers also include sounds of nature, with running water and birdsong.
By Our war music end I began to see how Moore-Morris regards himself as a cinematic composer, his music has the large-scale ability to create mood. Though I would have liked a few more edgy moments, a feeling of real drama. In all there are 11 tracks including the final, bonus track, which features vocals and words by Rebekah Walker.
Moore-Morris has a nice line in big romantic ballads, but an over reliance on a small repertoire of gestures, notably piano surrounded by strings. He needs to challenge himself to move in another direction.
I Remember
Walk to me [5.11]
Stay in my dream [5.18]
Just a thought [6.55]
Pure uncertainty [5.57]
A childs life [5.56]
A place for a dream [6.28]
Here you are truly safe [4.27]
It can only be right [5.33]
Our war must end [5.55]
I remember [6.30]
a secret [6.05]
Ben Moore-Morris
HR191001CD 1CD [62.51]
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