Thom Brennan – Shimmer

Thom Brennan "Shimmer" CDr

Thom Brennan, one of the true masters of tranquilly flowing ambience has long list of glorious works on his credit ("Mountains", "Mist", "Vibrant Water", "Stories From The Forest"...). To me, "Shimmer" is definitely one of them and it's my great pleasure to write few lines about this ultimate masterpiece. Released back in 2001 on Thom's own Raingarden Music label, "Shimmer" unveils with beautifully drifting "Radiant Ice", perfectly setting mood for this magnificent trip. The following composition, "Cavelight", gracefully navigates the album into breathtaking sceneries of vast open underground spaces where "crying" noises of e-guitar are magnificently interplaying with grandeur drifts and fragilely tinkling bells. A truly fascinating and soothing, 16-minute journey presenting Thom Brennan at the top of his mesmerizing elegance, a definite "creme de la creme" in the deepest and finest end of the pure subterranean atmospheric soundscaping. Both parts of the title piece "Shimmer" are clocking over 43 minutes and drift on the darkened path, another blissfully nocturnal, panoramic and absorbing composition! At times it gets more massive or spiraling, but always sustaining within slow-motion sound painting and holding the distinctive signature of Thom Brennan. Closing piece "Tundra" slowly moves from drifting phase into peaceful, trancey/tribal infused texture, at the end again fading away into tranquilly silent finale. "Shimmer" is highly picturesque journey through beautifully quiet and virgin lakeshores at sundown, I am enjoying so much the shimmering beauty of this album. Photographs of Michael Brophy are nicely supporting Thom Brennan's soundscapes. "Shimmer" is a must have for all aficionados of deeply evocative and sublime ambience!!!

Richard Gürtler (Dec 28, 2011, Bratislava, Slovakia)