Joseph L Young’s “Every Moment” from 2018 is an album I often find myself returning to. It is also an album many of you request to be played on New Age Stars Radio. It is a breathtakingly beautiful release where not a single note is wasted, it all serves a purpose; to communicate that every moment with the people you love is a valuable gift.
Previous albums by Joseph L Young are “Ethereum” (2016), “Life Spring” (2013), “Face The Wind” (2010) and “Pathways” (2004). Between 2018 and today, Young has released five singles – the latest being “Secret of Stones” (2021). If you follow Young’s music, you already know that he has a new album coming this July; “Into the Unknown.”
But first, let’s check out “Every Moment.” On this album, he returned to his first instrument, the saxophone.
The first track out is “Prism”. The first you will notice is the wonderful mix of analogue sounding synths and the rich, fat saxophone. This is pure gold for any New Age music fan! It is the sound the late 1980s, when even mainstream pop songs had a 30 seconds sax solo in the middle. In “Prism” there’s also a great flute segment. Layer upon layer the song grows and develops. It is a very nice effect indeed. “Falling Through Time” may seem simplistic in style with its pluck synth, but there’s much under the surface here, including a ghostly vocal.
The title track could have been extended to a complete album; The song is emotionally charged and has many levels. I simply cannot believe that you can fit this much into a five minutes long song. But then again, Joseph is making every moment count. It is an absolutely brilliant song, an instant classic. Bravo!
Twilight
Next out are “Twilight” and “Time Traveler”. I love the atmosphere, which is both dark and bright at the same time. My favorite track on the album is “Once In A While”. The theme is magnificent. It has a very cool vibe and is custom-made for the saxophone. The synth backing too is amazing sound design.
With “Vicariously Blue”, “Continuum” and “Chronos Dreams” the album gets a bit more thoughtful and contemplative.
On “Letting Go” there are quite a few interesting layers of vocals and commentary – like that voice in your head telling you that it is time to let go and move on. We are close to the end, as illustrated by the song “Eleventh Hour”. It has a somewhat futuristic sound, showing just how well the arrangement of saxophone on a backdrop of carefully selected synths is.
The album closer “Evening Repose” gives time to think, backed by wonderful sounds of nature. Hitting the replay button at this stage seems like the only smart thing to do.
In conclusion: “Every Moment” by Joseph L Young is an inspired and heartfelt album. It is also proof that there are way too few saxophone albums released as New Age music these days. Hopefully, Young’s rediscovered love for this instrument will last long. Or, in the spirit of the album, I should say forever.
Make sure to check out Joseph L Young’s homepage.