The Enchanted Path is the introductory effort on Day of Life. At four and a quarter minutes, the track still seems to go by like a flash. Each note created by Koch fits perfectly and sets the stage for the rest of the album. While Flowers on the Mountain barely reaches the three minute mark, the track is able to dovetail nicely into Morning Silence. The hopeful feelings that are elicited during the latter track provide listeners with a warm feeling that is fostered time and time again by later-album efforts, including Day of Life’s titular composition. Day of Life has a slow build that gradually ebbs and flows, with different elements reaching dominances and fading away into the aether. The second half of Day of Life touches upon the gentle insistence of the earth (On Gentle Waves), the inevitability of time (Passing Clouds, Golden October), and even the butterflies that flutter around a child’s stomach during a trip (Journey to the Sea, Peaceful Childhood).
Behind the Mountains is the final track on Day of Life, providing listeners with a resounding track that will imprint itself on minds and hearts for long after Day of Life has ceased to spin. Koch has crafted a delicate and fulfilling effort with this CD, establishing a novel with nary a word. Day of Life is available from http://www.realmusic.com , iTunes, and at any well-stocked brick and mortar store. For those that have heard Day of Life, what do you think?
Top Tracks: Flowers on the Mountain, On Gentle Waves
Rating: 8.7/10
Bernward Koch Day of Life CD Review / 2013 Real Music / 13 Tracks / http://www.realmusic.com / http://www.bernwardkoch.com/