Candice Night was possessed by the love of music when she was just a girl. She moved into piano lessons with success and after a stint in modeling and an epiphany with journaling that she still has to this day, she went on to a job at a local radio station in New York. She met Ritchie Blackmore (now her husband) of Deep Purple. She has worked with Rainbow, Deep Purple and Blackmore’s Night in the capacity of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Her time with Blackmore’s Night has brought her closer to the Renaissance era where she developed a love for Renaissance instruments that she has brought to her new album, Reflections due out in September 2011.
“Wind Is Calling (Hush The Wind)” begins with an ethereal keyboard melody that cascades into Night’s angelic vocals. Light guitar riffs and airy cloudbursts of sound settle around you like mist. “The wind is calling, rising, falling, reminding you how it used to be.” The steady tight guitar playing holds the song together as a delicate drum beat erupts in the distance. Night’s vocals are crystal clear and with this being the first track on the album, it was all I needed to want to hear more.
“Gone Gone Gone” is a vibrant whip crack of a song. Guitar riffs roll across your senses and draw you into the beat. Voices hum in harmony and then drums take over and blend into the song like a wildfire gone out of control. Night’s vocals are smooth as silk as she sings “I’m gone, gone, gone.” The composition of the song is red hot, with Night blazing a trail across the sky with her sultry voice. The drums and guitar combination really make this a song to move to. Wild and full of abandon, if this song doesn’t make you dance, you had better check for a pulse.
“Dangerous Smile” is a voyage into the dark side. Drums and electro pop ramp this song into a mix of edgy vocals, guitar riffs with serious teeth and drum sequences that will knock your socks off. This is definitely one of the more modern tracks on the album, and one of my favorites. Who doesn’t like songs about dangerous women?
“Black Roses” is a lullaby of loss and things that should have been. This song is a feast for the audiophile. Tinkling piano playing lures you in, like someone entering a haunted house, that is not sure where they are going and what is about to emerge from the shadows. Night’s vocals are pensive and sing a ballad of a woman surrounded by roses, waiting. Endlessly waiting…The violin adds another layer to the complex composition to make this song truly a masterpiece. Watching the official release video was a window into the world of the artist, capturing a mother’s love for her child and making it immortal. Was this song a ghost story? I am not entirely sure, but sometimes the meaning is in the eye of the beholder.
Candice Night has had a truly remarkable career as a singer and songwriter and international public figure. Her work with Deep Purple, Rainbow and Blackmore’s Night has taken her to new heights that are now entirely her own. She has gone from background vocals to her first solo album. Night has proven herself to be a master songwriter with capable and intricate lyrics that keep your attention and musical compositions that will haunt your dreams. From the more modern songs like “Dangerous Smile” and “Gone Gone Gone” to more medieval pieces like “Robin Red Breast” and “Alone With Fate” where she uses Renaissance style musical instruments, it was difficult to pick only a few songs to write about. Reflections is a masterpiece, especially if you are partial to Renaissance fairs. If you enjoy Karen Carpenter, Stevie Nicks and Evanescence, you simply must get this album.
Key Tracks- Wind Is Calling (Hush The Wind), Gone Gone Gone, Dangerous Smile
September 21, 2011
