Enchanted Journey is a project of David and
Steve Gordon, owners of Sequoia Records, who here bill themselves as
Everstar. Inspired, or perhaps sensing an opportunity, the duo created
Journey with a nod to the Lord of the Rings films. The album begins with "Departure From the Shire," moving through tracks like "Lady of the Golden Wood," "On the Road to Rivendell," and so on. The problem is, nothing on
Enchanted Journey is unique, or seems influenced by anything other than the rest of Sequoia's catalog of new age. Despite the liner notes' "realms of myth and mystery" and assertions of a Renaissance influence, there are scant few landmarks on this journey, and only a perfunctory nod to the Renaissance music tradition during "Silver Fountains Fall." That track becomes a standout, if only for the classical guitars and an evocative melody that distinguishes it in the surrounding smokescreen of synthesizer workouts. "River Running"'s ambient nature effects give way to a formless mass of cloying keyboards and misdirected melodies; its counterpart "Land of the Star" is literally indistinguishable, employing what seems to be the same nature track under pecks and scratches of directionless synthetic melody.
Everstar has left rhythm almost completely behind on its
Enchanted Journey. "Road to Rivendell"'s shuffling, country-ish beat is pleasant, but ultimately unrewarding, since the song becomes yet another framework for a series of indistinct keyboard solos. The album artwork, too, seems oddly faked, like it was copied from the cover of some forgotten fantasy novel. In the end,
Enchanted Journey is less than memorable. It might offer fans of the Gordon brothers' work some relaxing moments, but seems too formulaic to stand on its own. ~ Johnny Loftus