BrunuhVille
New Age, 2014

Rebirth is all about the fusion of world music and easy listening elements typical of new age albums and fantasy video game soundtracks. In all honesty, there is little here that would surprise folks who have heard enough of such music. Nonetheless, this collection of music still manages to deliver where it matters.

Dawn of Love, for example, is pure ear wax – an instantly appealing anthem of gorgeous strings and synthesizer magic that amplifies both the sweetness and grandeur of falling in love. In contrast, The Imperial City is all about the dramatic Middle-Eastern percussion anthem, bringing to mind some kind of siege to a fortress or something like that. Heart of Fire, for some reason, reminds me of dancing hobbits getting high on mushrooms and deciding to lay siege on Mordor – it’s both quaint and beautifully melodramatic at the same time. The other tracks all follow the same cause and effect – they are all gorgeous ear candies that manage to evoke the drama and the romance typically associated with music of this genre.

In short, this is a great collection to replace the tired same few tracks that play when one plays The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim or other fantasy video games. It also makes for some pleasant ambiance when played in the background. While it doesn’t break new grounds, Rebirth meets every expectation I’ve come to expect from a new age album.