Don’t you love when one of your favorite artists is getting better and better for each release? Then you are reminded why you became a fan in the first place. For me Waiting for Yesterday by Myristica is such an album. It is an amazing collection of songs, showing both that Myristica is growing as an artist – and, in the process, is giving us one of this year’s best New Age music albums.
Myristica is the music project to Mei-Ling Grey. She lives in Sussex, UK. Waiting for Yesterday is her fourth album. It has the following back-story:
Waiting for Yesterday is dedicated to my Father, who spent many years in the Royal Navy. This album is my musical interpretation of his memories at sea as a young sailor, thousands of miles away from home.
New, bold sound
Positive and uplifting synth based music is the heart and soul of our genre. In her book The New Age Music Guide (1989) P. J. Birosik calls it Traditional New Age music. When listening to Myristica’s new album I’m reminded of the traditional aspects of early, analogue synth based music. Yet I feel that Myristica here is taking the genre a leap further. Waiting for Yesterday has a fresh and bold sound. You just have to listen to a few seconds on the first track, Existence, to hear (or should I say experience) what I’m talking about.
After the larger-than-life Existence, Once upon a Dream and When the Wind Blows are gentle and beautiful songs. They have the atmosphere of fairly tales, it’s like walking into a fantasy novel. Farewell Harbor is a great example of Myristica’s masterful melodic focus, with a magnificent build-up (although it is a bit short). Some fine artists are featured on this album too. Phil Thornton worked with Myristica on three tracks, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s Chris Philpotts on one. Forever Sunset (feat. Phil Thornton, Ambient Version) is a masterful piece, brilliantly composed, with a great atmosphere. The same goes for the title track.
As much as I love the songs on Waiting for Yesterday, I would love if Myristica one day made a concept album. A complete album with the atmosphere of Existence for instance would be amazing (yes, I know I’m waiting for tomorrow here… Or just dreaming). Waiting for Yesterday is more like a collection of short stories than a novel; Each song is a story with a conclusion.
The album ends with the song Towards Hope, which sums up the album beautifully. All in all I think that Waiting for Yesterday is a marvelous album by an artist that just has joined the top division of artists in New Age music. Mei-Ling Grey is on par with artists as John Adorney, Medwyn Goodall or Al Conti. This is just the beginning; as a Myristica fan I’m eagerly waiting for tomorrow…
Score: 96/100
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