Close The Circle
by Chris Conway
- 0° - Future - Summer
- An Old Fashioned Future
- I Cast My Soul
- Songrise
- 90° - Past - Autumn
- Lifespell
- Simple
- Castle Seed & Candle
- 180° - Blood - Winter
- Wake Me Up When It's Over
- The Great Escapist
- Empty House Time Machine
- 270° - Love - Spring
- Dreaming Of You
- Forget About You
- Homecoming
Close The Circle - a cycle of 12 beautiful songs and 4 short interludes from an amazing singer-songwriter, featuring breathtaking harmonies, an incredible production and a raft of instruments. Harmonies Hear beautiful harmonies that just make you melt inside, calling to mind great harmony groups like Crosby Stills & Nash or The Free Design. Layers of sound Production - classic and contemporary The production is incredible - layers of sound casting the mind to the classic 60s era (Brian Wilson? did someone say theremin?? - Simon & Garfunkle?) but at the same time feeling crisp and bang up to date - lilting, mellow, but quirky with exotic instrumentation. The voice Chris Conway's voice has a subtle warmth that is in the same ballpark as David Crosby or James Taylor but is all it's own. There is a closeness - a warmth to it. In a world of its own… The backdrop The songs are set against a changing backdrop of styles. Hear US West Coast acoustic songs alongside powerful piano ballads. There are Celtic music touching realms inhabited by the likes of Alan Stivell & Donal Lunny. Jazz, bossa, and electronica moments also appear along the way to make a unique whole that makes sense. The music creates its own world. The songs You'll find the melodies go round in your head and stay there. Songs of a man coming into his own at last. Leaving the mindless everyday noise and connecting with what is really important. Things taken half a lifetime to discover. Close the Circle takes you on that journey. Chris Conway Who? Producing a string of quality albums for a range of small labels and touring for last 10 years, quite why his music is not better known is a mystery to his fans. He has, after all, played with members of Jethro Tull and Fairport Convention, and punching his name into Amazon UK will show 19 albums of his, or his bands, available. But still he hides under the media’s radar. The release of Close the Circle, his 8th solo songs album, and the growth of interest in his music on the internet may well change all that. It’s a truly amazing album. After years in relative obscurity there is a groundswell of interest in his music. As he sings on the classic Homecoming, “The journey’s over, the day is done, I’m coming home” Origins. Hailing from Michigan USA but growing out of a very healthy acoustic scene in Leicester, UK, it was immediately obvious that Chris Conway’s songs were something special. As then, the US West Coast influences are striking, as is his love of harmonies and often unusual instrumentation. Comparisons in the early days were made with David Crosby. But then there’s the Celtic tinge that creeps in, and the jazz touches, and electronica, and more… Chris says, “I used to worry a lot about all the different styles. Now it’s just all about the songs and about whether they communicate a feeling.” Time Out Magazine said of him - "Rootsy multi-instrumentalist Conway is a master of witty, touching acoustic songs. He purveys a lilting and melodic music of depth and emotion”. They got that right! His lyrics, together with his amazingly expressive voice, pack a real emotional punch. Subtle moods and ideas, things that one recognises but perhaps hasn’t thought of, flights of fancy, life’s road, love and loss. It’s all there wrapped up with a huge gift for melody and harmony and his trademark layered sound production. For too long now he been a well kept secret to his loyal fans at his concerts and on the web. Have you discovered Chris Conway yet? More on Chris Conway - www.chrisconway.org More on Close the Circle - http://www.btinternet.com/~unclechristo/cd_ctc.html