“Breath of Gratitude” by Juliet Lyons
Album Review by New Age CD and New Age Notes Radio Staff
There are so many things in life that we don’t even think about or that we take completely for granted. The gift of breathing is often one of those. But clearly, whether we consciously realize it, think about it or not, it’s our most important gift.
Juliet Lyons, as well as being a breathtaking beauty both inside and out, is a Billboard-charting, award-winning recording artist as well as a singer/songwriter/composer for film and television. She is best known for her emotional, soaring vocals in trailers, as well as in Trance and New Age music.
Described as having “one of the most evocative and ethereal voices I’ve ever heard,” (Lea Ann Fessenden, “Caribbean Examiner”), Juliet’s singing was featured on the official trailer for Disney’s live-action retelling of “Cinderella.” As a composer, she writes mainly production music for well-known reality TV shows. Her instrumentals have aired thousands of times on television shows, and in fact, her original music has been heard in over 300 television shows as well as in major motion pictures. Simply put, Juliet is a voice to be reckoned with.
What is truly astounding about Juliet is that in 2019, she was diagnosed with the rare airway disease, Idiopathic Subglottic Stenosis (ISGS). Living with this condition means that she finds herself literally struggling to breathe for weeks or months at a time and must cope with ongoing fatigue and chronic cough. As well, and perhaps most horrifying, is that she must undergo surgery on her trachea twice a year, which I think would mean you never know what you’re going to wake up to or even if you’re going to wake up at all. All this is part of her “new normal.”
Her new album, “Breath of Gratitude,” is a deeply personal vocal-centered New Age album, and a musical representation of Juliet’s journey thus far with this rare chronic airway disease. And we can see
that despite ongoing and new challenges, Juliet continues to thrive in her musical career, sharing her life-force energy, passion, and resilience with the world.
Juliet says, “Navigating the disease, I experience sorrow, fear, frustration, acceptance, and most powerfully, gratitude. The moment I wake up from surgery, able to breathe freely again, is such an intense moment: Gratitude that I can still breathe. That I can still sing. That I’ve been given more time to live, love, and make music. I honor this meaningful moment with this album. It is ‘Breath of Gratitude.’”
So here, in this beyond beautiful new album, we have seven tracks, about 25 minutes of awesomeness. Joining Juliet on vocals, piano, and guitar is a host of top-rate musical talent, including the lovely Lili Haydn (violin), Esin Aydingoz (string arrangements and string programming), MB Gordy (percussion), Euro Zambrano (percussion), Kirsten Agresta Copeley (harp), Robin Sandoval (additional background vocals), and Wenda Williamson (harp).
The album opens with the gorgeous and gentle, “Sunrise.” The vocals are appropriately “breathy” and ethereal. Simple piano, soft percussion, and truly lovely strings bring this all together in a magnificent opening to all that comes next.
The title track follows with its delicately played felted piano, along with rhythmic percussion forming an underlying heartbeat, and we are drawn irresistibly into an almost inexplicable feeling. The composition, cadence, and execution of this song are all testaments to Juliet’s amazing artistry. The song literally breathes.
After “awakening,” we encounter “Healing Hymn,” with its gorgeous, ethereal wordless vocals, which are some of the most beautiful you will ever hear. Soft, gentle, yet supremely powerful, this is captivating and joyful.
Dum spiro spero is a Latin phrase translating to, “While I breathe, I hope,” and the verb “spiro” means both “to breathe” and “to live.” Here in the song “Dum Spiro Spero,” velvety vocals, violin, wonderful drumbeats, and a reverent chant-like vibe, convey beautifully both the gift of breath along with the symbiotic gift of life.
As humans, we are constantly engaged in the delicate balance between life and death. “Delicate Dance” has an extraordinary other-worldly beauty to it. Juliet’s wordless vocals are amazing and harp, piano, and soft drumbeats make this hypnotic and extra special.
“New Life” is gently atmospheric, recalibrating, and truly uplifting. Here we fully can embrace the gift of life for all that it is. Lovely piano, strings, supremely beautiful wordless vocals, and seamless percussion bring hope and light to our existence. Just gorgeous in every way.
This spirit rejuvenating, albeit relatively short, album ends with the melodic “Heart Awakened.” With its lightly twinkling piano this has a dreamy, magical, lullaby kind of feel to it. We go to sleep and then begin all over again. . .if we are lucky. Breathe.
Get it here: https://www.julietlyons.com/music/breath-of-gratitude
Or on Bandcamp: https://julietlyons.bandcamp.com/album/breath-of-gratitude-digital-download
Official artist website: https://www.julietlyons.com/
