“’What We Whispered’ is what really good solo piano should be and do – take us through a wide-ranging gamut of emotions and back to ourselves. Gorgeous.” – Dyan Garris
Eric Allaman is a prolific composer whose decades long career has included composing the scores for 45 movies and over 600 episodes of television including: “Duck Dynasty,” “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Mike Hammer Private Eye,” “Elvira’s Haunted Hills,” “Latter Days,” “Sherlock Holmes,” “Liberty’s Kids,” and “Legend,” to name just a few.
His new album, “What We Whispered,” is the second release of his own compositions that were not written for any sort of other media. Here we have 12 tracks of emotional and sensitively played neo-classic solo piano blended with perhaps a touch of New Age contemporary instrumental.
There is much to love here, including the engaging melody lines and balanced use of both upper and lower piano registers. Elegantly composed and gracefully played, the pieces are all memorable and emotionally evocative.
The album opens with the intriguing, “Rendezvous.” The air of mystery draws us nicely into the rest of the ambiance. “Wenn Du Dran Glaubst” (“If You Believe In It”), follows. This is equally as engaging with lots of emotion radiantly shining through. Very nicely done.
The title track is romantic and intimate as one might imagine. There is a gentle opening to this piece with great build to explosive passion and then a return to softness.
Sweet, flowing, and melodic, “At One” is one for the relaxation playlist to be sure. Beautifully composed and played, with perfect pacing, this is lovely in every way.
“The Center Cannot Hold” is a bit deeper and darker than the previous tracks, but just as interesting in its own right. I like the pacing here and the great use of the lower register.
One of my favorites on this album is, “Elizabeth.” The melody line is terrific, poignant, and the composition has an abundance of wonderful nuances, movement, and flourishes.
Nostalgic and wistful, “Far From Here” easily transports us into a daydream of times gone by. A slow and steady cadence immediately calms the psyche and gives us time for reflection and contemplation.
“Evening Shadows” is fun and interesting with its timing changes. Imagine the softly fading evening light playfully dancing in front of you before melding into all manner of different hues, and you’ve got it. This is artistically brilliant.
Another favorite here is the extremely romantic, “Together At Twilight.” This tender piece showcases Eric’s skills as a composer and a solo pianist as well. For lovers everywhere, this is another to listen to again and again.
“Chasing After Wind” perfectly portrays this playful picture. What a great, fun-filled soundscape this is.
The lovely “Adrienne” is as beautiful as I’m sure “Adrienne” is in real life. This one brings a smile to the face immediately as it’s sometimes fast and sometimes quiet, but mostly, I would say, full of life. Love it.
This multi-faceted album closes out with “Vision of Love.” Melodic, with interesting time changes again, throughout, we clearly get the vision that love isn’t a straight line. Far from it. And somewhere between the lines, we can definitively hear what we whispered along the way. Fascinating, truly.
The digital album will be released on October 1, 2022, and will be available on all streaming platforms. No physical CDs will be available.
Official artist website: https://ericallaman.com/
Broadcast/media promotion:
LAZZ Promotions: Ed & Stacey Bonk
E-mail: [email protected]
