Myristica – Little Oak review

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myristicaLittle Oak is the third album by Myristica. It is a collection of soft and quiet melodies. But don’t let their simplicity fool you, because there is an almost magical dimension to Myristica’s music. Listening to it feels like stepping into a world of fantasy, bright colors and strange creatures. Little Oak is nearly a perfect album for dreaming and relaxation.

The world is noisy. Everywhere you go there are high sounds, sharp lights and something that demands your attention. Even many New Age music albums can be quite loud and have a heavy rhythm. Little Oak by Myristica is not such an album. Here the melodies are delicate and there are no drums or heavy bass to disturb you.

A Warm Musical Blanket
Myristica is the music project to Mei-Ling Grey. She lives in Sussex, UK. About the name Myriatica she writes:

I go by the name of Myristica, which is the name of a tropical Asian evergreen tree. The Myristica Fragrans is cultivated for the aromatic seed it produces – nutmeg. This is my favourite spice especially when sprinkled on warm rice pudding. Utter comfort food. It’s like a hug in a bowl! I love music that creates the same effect and I hope that when you hear my music you will feel as if you’ve been hugged or wrapped up in a warm musical blanket!

Rarely have I listened to an album that fits the description of a “warm musical blanket” better than Little Oak. It creates a wonderful atmosphere that is perfect for reading, relaxation or as background music for a rainy day. I think it is especially great for fantasy reading. You almost don’t need a book; the songs themselves are so filled with stories and emotions.

The album is produced by Phil Thornton and contains acoustic guitar by The Celturian and oboe by Chris Philpotts (Kibeja). Little Oak is a great example of how quite simple sounding synths can make a fantastic result. You don’t need the most recent synths to be great. My favorite track is no. 10, the quite dark Between Worlds, which has a magnificent build-up.

In conclusion; Little Oak by Myristica is a wonderful album. Highly recommended!

93/100 – See how I rate music here.