Craeyola Review by Steve Sheppard

There is something very mellow and appeasing about this brand new album from pianist and composer Holly Jones, one that allows the cadence of the day to unfurl in total peace and harmony; the soothing structures and compositions contained within this charming album will please the legions of the solo piano genre with utter ease, on her new release Craeyola.

It’s unusual but the opening piece would become one of my personal favourites from the album, I normally have to allow the album to wash over me first, and then make judgement calls on tracks, but on The Sunshine Days the ambiance created by the artist was akin to some of the great works brought into reality by the late but great Harold Budd.

The repeating motif at the start of the title track was a delicious introduction to what would follow. Craeyola is a piece of many colours and textures, that ambient style is still there, but now there is a soft, soothing melody incorporated into the weave of the track itself. The short form narrative that follows it called Hopscotch; this is almost classical in essence, but with rich flavours of stylish new age piano.

Perhaps I was a little too hasty in choosing an early favourite as I have fallen in musical love again, but this time with the piece Thirteen. The opening notes grabbed my attention that slight drop into a minor refrain on the opening segment was so very moving and reflective, in what I now rate as one of the most powerful and heart felt offerings from the album.

Holly has manifested her most ambient album to date that is without doubt a truism; here on this next track she continues that theme, with a slightly more emboldened performance, and that fluent offering is entitled First Dance, again a little reflection can be found in the weave of the creation, one that comes from a memory palace of love.

A more mournful repose is now manifested with this next composition called I Thought You Loved Me; one can hear the questioning nature of the piece through the presentation, the imploring performance is deeply moving, with elements of acceptance and sadness built into the structure of the manifestation.

Craeyola is an 11 piece album of incredibly emotional and ambient felt piano works; her presentation on this next track called In the Bleak has a grey wintery feel to the composition within, but also written craft –fully into the piece is a beautiful flowing melody that manifests much in the latter half of the song.

Equilibrium is another glorious track that builds steadily on its gentle inception, one that progress into an almost classical weave world of a piano narrative, a composition that finds its own sense of balance and poise with ease, whilst on Into the Woods, a more natural fluency can be found on a composition that builds around a darker energy, but one that has an overall purpose, and the result, one of the most artistic pieces from the album.

The penultimate offering is entitled Bittersweet, and from the artists performance and the delightful mixture of major and minor, we can see the dichotomy contrasted brilliantly in this last but one musical tale, Jones has manifested her cleverest presentation here, exploring a narrative of happiness tinged with sadness, a true juxtaposition of musical emotions.

I was eager to hear this final offering, and whilst listening intently to Smiling On the Inside one could truly feel the light bulb of acceptance and knowing everything is going to be getting better, start to turn on. This last creation is almost anthem styled, and its structure one that quite craft-fully wraps up this very classy album.

Craeyola by Holly Jones, and I apologise for using this well-worn cliché, but without a shadow of a doubt is her best work thus far, an album bathed in a blissful tender ambiance, but a release that is so very easy to listen to, one that I believe would win over any fan of good music from any genre. Perhaps Holly has created her seminal album here; it is a release of many emotions, moods and textures, and in all honesty deserves all the plaudits it’s going to get. I rate Craeyola by Holly Jones as the best felt piano album I have ever heard, and as such, must be a release guaranteed for success.