Saturated in sunshine, the track Atlantic Heights kicks off the Twilight Paradise album with an atmospheric yet jazzy upbeat groove made all the more joyous by the addition of some delicious live saxophone. With a distinctly American flavour, the track conjures images of the West Coast, or of some of California's most beautiful beaches. You can almost taste the sea spray and the sun on your face in this ecstatic music, full of heartwarming sentiment and coastal bliss.
As if the first track wasn't uplifting enough, Island of Love takes joy to the next level in this jazzy, almost bossa nova bound ballad, again with Danny Langsman's slinky saxophone weaving it's exuberant and ecstatic melodies in concert with Clifford's cool keyboard instrumentation's. Again, the coastal themes of this album are self evident: the track is suffused with warmth and sensitivity, and it comes to a beautiful and romantic conclusion.
We find ourselves transported to the deepest of jungles in Tropibop, a kind of electro-inspired synthesizer romp, with pulsing bass and arpeggio permeated with wildlife and river sounds. Life teems everywhere, and as with other tracks on this album, you can almost taste the sea salt as you wade through the liquid undergrowth. Synthesizer strings, flutes and glimmers illuminate the landscape in this rich and evocative track.
Shifting to the gentle twilight of a coastal scene, we drift away to the undulating waves of Dreamtide, a romantic ballad of glassy keyboards and breathy vocals. With the addition of a sweet saxophone, we are again reminded of the beauty and peace of the coastline.
A brief vision of starry skies and the expanse of the milky way then follows in Arrival, as the horizon seems to turn on it's axis revealing the endless majesty of space. This is followed by the mysterious track Ecosphere, which evokes shimmering pools of light in the minds eye, as hummingbirds and dragonfly's drift languidly through the sultry atmosphere. A glassy piano improvisation casts sparkling rockpool reflections in this exquisite track.
Rippling waves of light are also one of the main images conjured by Starstream, a liquid-like refrain realised with flute, voices and a variegated assortment of unusual sounding percussion instruments. This short piece is then followed by Tropicool, which returns to the sultry early evening atmosphere, with smooth sax and glassy bell tones upon a bed of warm keyboards and soporific textures.
One of the most unusual and innovative tracks on the album, Nightscape is a nocturnal excursion with hints of mystery and intrigue. Echoing piano motifs and puffy flute syncopations entwine betwixt enigmatic brush rhythms and warm string chords. The overall effect is one of anticipation mixed with abstraction, creating a strange and ambiguous mood that is cryptic and yet delectable.
Our journey concludes with the track Twilight Paradise, a deliciously romantic track that sets us adrift on a still ocean of emotion with a gentle buoyancy. Drifting without a destination, we eventually arrive at a distant shore, to the sound of seagulls and lone piano.
Twilight Paradise is a rich and romantic album with an opulence of tropical moods that effortlessly blend together to create a heady atmosphere that is both relaxing and rejuvenating.
