Wind & Wire Magazine
While Robert Dwain Bridges describes his music as 'new age jazz' I'd say
that the 'jazz' label only applies to a few tracks on this CD. Most of what
is here is catchy, infectious, melodic electronic keyboard new age music,
harkening back to the good old days when music like this was everywhere in
the genre. More and more keyboard players seem to be concentrating on piano
or piano with keyboards, whereas 'pure' electronic keyboard players are
straying more and more into the ambient genre. So, when I hear someone like
Bridges who plays all manner of synths, some as sampled instruments and
others more 'synthy,' in the service of structured radio-friendly tunes, I
cry 'Hurrah!' We need more of this fun-to-listen-to music, especially
nowadays.
The album opens up with three strong cuts. One Step Ahead kicks off with
lots of sparkling keyboard work, snappy rhythms (drum pads and cool skitch
beats) and a rapid but comfortable tempo. Koshima Sunrise slows things
down considerably, with its myriad assortment of nicely echoed bells, synth
strings, and percussive textures, all of it spiced with just a hint of the
Far East. Spirit Flight features spacy swirling keyboards before a
toe-tapping rhythm comes into play, increasing in tempo to a medium-fast
pace, helped along by peppy synths carrying the lead melody.
Neverending Dream holds seventeen (!) cuts altogether, so you can correctly
infer that nothing here overstays its welcome (only one song is just a few
ticks past five minutes). So that the word 'jazz' on the album cover is not
misleading, some cuts do carry a jazzy vibe, such as Easy Does It (where
Bridges trades in some of his synths for digital piano) or Catchin' a
Groove (on which funky rhythms are somewhat undercut by a less than solid
sampled sax, although the song itself is a lot of fun). There is also some
classic romantic new age music on the CD (e.g. An Intimate Moment, a
standout track, graced by a slow rocking rhythm and great bell tones and
enhanced by serene synth strings).
Few recordings are perfect, and sometimes, the music on Neverending Dream is
a tad predictable, such as on the slightly schmaltzy After the Tears,
which, while well-performed, suffers by comparison with most of the rest of
the album. And, on Remembering Old Friend the mix is a tad busy, as if
Bridges tried to bring too much to the forefront (in addition, the oboe
sample could be better and the drum programming, which is usually excellent
on this CD, sounds a tad shrill).
But these are minor complaints when the music is this good. As I have
written in other reviews, I prefer music that is well-composed and inspired
(even if it needs to be tweaked technically) over music that is slick and
professional but soulless. Listening to a song like the cheery
finger-snapping Happy Times or the oh-so-pleasant new age beauty of the
title track more than makes up for instrumentation shortcomings. In all
honesty, I played Neverending Dream at least seven or eight times before
writing this review and enjoyed it each time. Granted, this kind of melodic
keyboard music is right up my alley, but even without my favorable bias, I
think Bridges is the kind of artist who will only get more accomplished with
time. If this is his first time at bat, what will he able to do when he gets
some playing time under his belt! For now, I strongly recommend Neverending
Dream to new age music fans or adult contemporary music lovers who enjoy
lots of electronic keyboards, along with a wide variety of styles and tempos
on a recording.
- Bill Binkelman
