Narada's
The Narada Wilderness Collection is as lush as the mountain pine that graces its cover. Sixteen tracks from as many different artists fill out its margins, and most draw their inspiration from wood, water, and the environment. Though
David Arkenstone's "Yosemite" doesn't really go anywhere, the South American rhythms of
Bernardo Rubaja's "Break of Day" are warm and inviting and "Sahara Sunrise" from
Ralf Illenberger accesses the spare, windswept qualities of that region. In this way,
The Narada Wilderness Collection remains rooted in its theme. And though it never strays fully into that dark land of new age conventionalism, where it's easy to get caught up in one's own lushness,
The Narada Wilderness Collection could stand to drop a little more environmental science on listeners' ears.
Carol Nethen's "Early Moon and Firelight" is particularly powerful, sampling the calls and sounds of a forest sunrise and treating it for an extra eerie effect. But eventually, the track's ultra-clean contemporary instrumentalism takes over and dulls the effect of the crickets and loons.
Wilderness will be like a mountain spring to Narada's faithful. But for those looking at the forest through the trees, it might leave a little to the imagination. ~ Johnny Loftus