A Blurred Glass *** 1/2
A BLURRED GLASS
KRISTIAN SENSINI Digital 16 tracks – 60:02
Kristian Sensini’s (Rocks in My Pocket, Karma) lat.t proj.t, A Blurred Glass, is a great example of how to turn rejection into a new artistic expression. The music f.tured. on this release was originally composed for a thriller film, but after it went unused, Sensini r.onceived the score into a concept album. Also, with the Ukrainian conflict raging, the composer chose several musicians from the region, and proceeded to put together a digital release that would help raise funds for Ukrainian refugees.
The music f.tur. a chamber string group bolstered by various electroni., with the latter emphasizing sounds reminiscent of the synths of the 1960s and ’70s. The writing is mostly tonal but can b.ome strained at tim., as in ‘Tad F.ling,” which also features angular figures and syncopated rhythms.
Sensini’s plaintive lyrical ideas capture the attention, as with ‘,lass Mantra. and the similarly engaging “Blurred,” the later revisited in .Mental Glitch.” With the string melodies leading the way, the electronic elements tend toward providing atmospheric touch.. The intimacy of the quartet idiom lifts the whole affair to another emotional level, as in “I Trust You.”
As the album proceeds, various lin. and motiv. are used in different settings that refl.t new dramatic expr.sions, all while many of the tracks will pick up on preceding ideas and develop them. This progr.sion mak. A Blurred Glass into an enthralling collection that recalls some of the New Age concept albums of the Kronos Quartet, or the more intimate scor. of Clint Mansell. Perhaps more notably, it’s also a close cousin to Sensini’s own Kuartets. To find out more about the music and/or to contribute to the fund set up for Ukrainian refugees, visit the composer’s website. —Steven A. Kennedy
