Lisa Downing is a solo pianist that resides in Denver where she has been composing and performing since 1982. On her latest release, A Delicate Balance, Lisa offers up a dozen new tracks inspired by personal moments in her life. Her music is often compared to artists like George Winston, Jon Schmidt, and David Lanz.
A Delicate Balance, is a soothing and heartfelt release. In most of my research on this album I frequently saw the genre “New Age” appear, but I wouldn’t really use that term based on my listens. While it is, when I think of New Age I often think of artists like Enya, Enigma, or Brian Eno (basically anything starting with “E” apparently). Downing’s songs are just pretty, relaxing, and simple piano compositions. They’re all rather comforting and I feel Neo-Classical is more reflective of what we hear here.
For those if you that have seen other reviews of mine, I’m generally a rock reviewer. I don’t often listen to piano compositions in my own time, so I can’t really be highly critical of the genre. As a knowledgeable music fan however, this is an enjoyable listen. I could certainly see it setting a nice reflective mood to a breezy day on the porch. At the same time, there is nothing earth shattering here (which I certainly doubt it’s trying to be), and a casual listener probably wouldn’t notice when a track changes without looking at the numbers on the display. Regardless, Lisa Downing’s A Delicate Balance is a pleasant release and tranquil release that can be enjoyed by most anyone looking to set such a mood.
Key Tracks: Make Believe, Indecision, Diaphanous Breeze
Kevin Kozel- Sr. MuzikReviews.com Staff
June 10, 2010
