Six Leaves Left - The Longest Journey

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Six Leaves Left’s The Longest Journey is full of gentle emotion and lusciously interwoven musical landscapes as it does indeed carry the listener away on a sonic journey. There are also captivating melodies and intriguing auditory contrasts on this album.

The tranquil, tender emotional states that fill The Longest Journey are deeply touching for me. There’s something peaceful and soothing in the music that draws me in and leaves me feeling recharged and relaxed. I also enjoy the way that Six Leaves Left punctuates the softness with darker, sharper moments for contrast.

Melody permeates The Longest Journey and each of the melodies is engaging and ear-pleasing. Six Leaves Left weaves a spell of warmth and enfolding emotion in his melodic writing that fills the heart wth affectionate, perhaps slightly melancholy feelings. I enjoy the depth of each of them.

A luscious synth palette contributes to the atmospheric nature of this album. A whole range of slipping, gliding synth sounds mingles with glowing and caressing textures as punchy drums and dense bass shape the music. Taken as a whole, the result is blissful listening.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Sailing Away” comes into being as gentle sound swells to a glistening flow. Silky, washing synth sings a wonderfully delicate, touching melody as the slipping drumbeat guides the music.

Medium-high, flaring synth carries an upbeat, encouraging melodic pattern into sonorous synth drifting through the track. Undulating bass slides and lustrous chimes flicker before the wide-sounding, bright synth carries a positive melody.

Massive bass oscillates and wind sweeps as trembling synth caresses my ears. Fragile chimes glimmer as a glockenspiel’s sharper shine cuts in. The drums now break into an uneven beat while sunny synth glows and the track drifts into silence with a mellow sigh.

Effulgent, feather-light synth brushes into the music in a slowly undulating pattern to open “The Longest Journey.” Resonant chimes carry a charming, wistful melody out over huge bass as slowly revolving arpeggios shine.

Bass swirls in towering but tender whorls as lost voices echo and tranquil choral sounds move in. Raised notes sparkle with clear light to accent the track. Medium-high, trumpeting synth carries a victorious melody tinged by aching emotion.

Elevated, gleaming notes add a fragile and tender quality as rounded arpeggios spin. A twangy guitar carries a pained, yearning melody while rain falls softly and a steady drone fades into silence.

“Lost Frequencies” starts as gigantic bass and throbbing drums form a driving heartbeat. Distantly glittering sounds flow and brassy, muted synth carries an encouraging melody. Synth chords add shadings of more uncertain emotion in a way which I find pleasing.

Radiant synth carries a dynamic melody with a hint of troubled emotion in it as colossal drums and bass press on. The drums add punchy weight as lambent synth echoes out. Sharp-edged, wide-sounding synth climbs while dark notes with a hint of threat touch the music.

Flaring synth adds more warmth and uplift before the energetic, but slightly melancholy lead synth floats out. There’s a sense of forward motion as heaving drums and pulsing bass are tinged with sparkling chimes. The track ends on crushing bass weight.

Clear, glassy chimes slide out into open space, carrying slowly undulating arpeggios to commence “Summer’s End.” Creamy synth enfolds my ears and elevated chimes glimmer, carrying a tentatively touching, calming melody that I find deeply pleasing.

Nasal-sounding, full synth takes up the nostalgically yearning melody. Flickering chimes carry their own fragile melody as soft-edged, lush synth sings with dreaming light. Strong drums and dense bass rebound below the elevated sounds.

Nasally-drifting, tranquil synth carries the lead melody while guitar cries out with intensely passionate feeling. Powerfully throbbing drums and strong bass are touched by a broadly whirling arpeggio. An angelic synth chorus floats out above huge drums and fades away.

“A Dog’s Dream” begins as a steady, pulsating synth is cut by a bending synth that doubles it. Wind sweeps past before frolicking, gleaming synth carries an uplifting, irrepressible melody above steadily oscillating bass and insistent drums.

I enjoy the charming quality of the main melody as it skips along with easy going joy. Trumpeting synth takes up the exuberant melody before guitar sounds arc up and hollow, bouncing notes flit.

There’s a hopeful eagerness pouring from the main melody and sunnily glittering synth sings an even more upbeat melodic part. Gigantic bass is cut by a warming, twirling synth that fades out. The track ends on large, lambent synth blocks and underpinning bass.

Broadly glowing synth carries a melody rich with positive emotion to kick off “This Is The Place.” A pulsating, propulsive drum and bass flow moves below slightly twisting, shimmering synth.

The track breaks into an angular, hard-hitting drum and bass pulse that slices through. Effulgent lead synth suffuses the main melody as it reaches for the sky. Wide-sounding, gleaming synth effectively contrasts with digitally flaring notes.

A disembodied voice over floats as a soaring, aspiring melody climbs over driving drums and bass. Airy voices float in a chorus above the heaving weight below them. Flowering synth blossoms before the track ends on sharp sounds.

Conclusion

The Longest Journey drenches me with calm, encouraging emotion while filling my ears with richly layered sonic tapestries. Six Leaves Left has made music that touches me and relaxes me while keeping my mind engaged.