Tides

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith recorded Tides: Music for Meditation and Yoga in 2013, so her mother could have something to play during her yoga classes. Functionally, the release is true to its title -- this is the most purely new age album Smith has released. While her later, more pop-influenced recordings, such as 2017s marvelous The Kid, include warped vocals, sophisticated ensemble arrangements, and busy, colorful melodies, Tides consists entirely of gently flowing tones played on a Buchla Music Easel synthesizer, along with additional sounds such as chirping birds and wind chimes. By design, there are several points where its hard to tell which sounds are being produced synthetically and which are field recordings -- electronic melodies buzz like crickets, and synth tones drift like a breeze through the woods. Additionally, there are moments where one might assume that Smith is playing a tambura or a harmonium rather than a synthesizer. The songs often have curious, playful melodies which rock back and forth, lulling the listeners into a state of deep concentration but keeping their minds alert and engaged. Other pieces, such as Tides V, are immersive, cloudy drones which seem to form a cocoon of sound. Tides VIII is basically a short musical snow globe, created to stir up all sorts of fuzzy feelings. The final half of concluding piece Tidex IX consists entirely of wind chimes and a forest full of birds and insects, taking everything back to nature. While not as ornate as her subsequent works, Tides spotlights Smiths talent for building moods. ~ Paul Simpson