Philip Wesley

Beyond Cloud Nine is the eighth release of pianist/composer Philip Wesley. This project is laced with major keys and is a combination of dreamy, ethereal and romantic rolled into one gorgeous album by this talented artist. By his own words, Philip says in the liner notes this album is more “light and airy” sounding than previous albums which boasted more minor sounding keys and broody heart-wrenching compositions. This is also the first project of Wesley’s that features other instrumentation of cello and strings though is piano driven.

 

Beyond Cloud Nine opens with the track Falling For You. This song begins the journey of piano and instrumental combination leading the listener into a daydream of musical delicacy. A gentle crescendo of sweet sound features both cello and strings. This piece marks the gentle beginning of a beautiful album. Enjoyed it! Firefly Light was my next favorite on the album. You can just imagine fireflies dancing to the melody. I could feel the emotiveness and longing tempered with brisk moments that I found appealing. I loved the ending as it trickles into the upper register. Love’s Crush is positively gorgeous with the heartfelt instrumentation and striking melody. What a beautiful musical proclamation of love.

 

The title track Beyond Cloud Nine is simply beautiful. The gorgeous melody leads the listener beyond the clouds. Beyond Cloud Nine engages the listener while navigating through the continued journey of love. Dreaming In Color displays a vivid color of notes woven perfectly throughout the melody. This song draws the listener in with its pleasing melody and colorful tones creating a lovely dialogue on the piano. As the melody sings seasoned with instrumentation this one became my absolute favorite–love it! Push Pull is also another one of my favorites on the album. The intro is engaging with gentle cascading into a dreamy melody. As the melody builds you begin to feel the push and pull of the piece true to its title. Another one the listener will love!

 

Flutter is the longest track on the album and I love the melody in this piece. The instrumentation is a pleasant and welcomed addition to this already charming song. The ending is a gentle flutter over the keys compelling the listener through dreamy reflection. Stunning! Reasons For Leaving is the shortest track on the album with the length around a minute and fifty-six seconds. Sometimes the shorter pieces are the hidden shiny gems in the musical journey. Philip plays the piece with energetic command of both melody and instrument. The ending of this gem fading into the upper register leaves the listener in a cloud of sparkling musical satisfaction.

 

Ripple Across Time closes out this brilliant album. The melodic theme is both resounding and peaceful. At times the melody ebbs and flows creating a ripple of bright refrain then quietly fades into tranquil enchantment. Love it!

 

Beyond Cloud Nine is the musical representation of the odyssey of love. The album takes the listener on an exquisite journey beyond the clouds into a piano and instrumental reverie. The piano focused instrumental album is variance from the usual musings of this talented composer and does not disappoint, its very charismatic in both style and presentation. Beyond Cloud Nine will be a welcome addition to any music lover’s collection. Therefore, I highly recommend it.