CD Review: Collen "Les Ondes Silencieuses"

Artist: Colleen
Album: Les Ondes Silencieuses
Label: The Leaf Label
Release Date: Summer 2007
Colleen - "Sun Against My Eyes"
After an insanely hectic week this was the album to listen to. While I'm not a devotee of classical music, I've very much enjoyed this minimalist work by Colleen, aka Cecile Schott. While it is minimalist, it isn't austere as in the style of a Philip Glass or his ilk. Colleen boils the music down to the minimum amount of instrumentation to convey both emotion and complexity. Whereas her previous release was composed of loops of electronics and almost indiscernable instruments, Les Ondes Silencieuses is completely organic, with Colleen playing: viola, classical guitar, clarinet, spinet, and crystal glass.
With nine beautiful tracks, if this is Colleen's new direction, I hope she keeps heading down this road.