We hope you are enjoying the summer! Here on New Age Music Guide, we are always looking for warm and sunny tracks. In this article, you will find some of the finest summer music our genre has to offer! Enjoy 😎
The first album out is:
Medwyn Goodall – Earth Goddess
You know me – I’m usually not a man of few words when it comes to music. But listening to Medwyn Goodall’s Earth Goddess always leaves me speechless. In Medwyn’s massive discography (he is represented on iTunes with more than 350 titles – and counting!) there are so many excellent albums. But to me, Earth Goddess is special. It has to do with my love for the sunny island theme, and the fact that I feel that it is here new age music is at its very best.
Palms, blue water, white beaches, waves, a hot wind blowing, holidays – all of this gives good, happy feelings that our genre so well communicates through music. And nowhere in the complete New Age music discography – from Tony Scott till today – is this more present than in Medwyn Goodall’s Earth Goddess. It is simply a summer New Age music tour de force!
The six-track long album was released in the early summer of 2007. It starts with the ultra-light Amulet. The lush pads, echoed pan flute, the bright sounding piano, and – after a tasteful build-up – Medwyn’s masterful el-guitar, are all elements that make this into an unforgettable start of an unforgettable album.
Sungrass, track no. 2, is as laid-back as the title implies. This is music for a sunny day in the grass. The song has the same ingredients as track 1, but here Medwyn’s el-guitar is perhaps even better – sounding a bit like The Shadows’ classical el-guitar songs.
The next song out, Totem, is a song to worship; close your eyes and the dream island will manifest itself. The song has some of the best build-up I have ever heard – the middle part, at around 4min50sec and later, is just so interesting, so deep without being complex. The flute ending is simply breathtaking;I could listen to it all day.
Simply put; Earth Goddess is one of the best albums in the New Age music genre. Its warm sound and pleasant atmosphere make it to a modern classic. Do yourself a favor and meet the Earth Goddess!
David Arkenstone’s Caribbean Nights (2009)
What is summer without warm summer nights? One of my favorite summer albums is David Arkenstone’s Caribbean Nights, released in 2009. It was not his first album with the Caribbean theme – but on this album, he joined team with a real steel drum player, Clinton Crawford. Arkenstone said that his goal was to create an album that “Makes you feel like you have a drink in your hand and your toes in the sand…”
Only by looking at the first few titles on the album, we can sense what Arkenstone has in store for us; Sunset Cruise, Enchanted Night and Midnight Moon. It is all about easy living and happiness. My favorite song on the album is track eight, Sandy Toes, where the steel drum sounds truly sweet together with the flute and guitar. A truly beautiful mix. All songs on the album are a little over 4 minutes long, which give the listener time to enjoy the melodic elements without rapid shifts.
Caribbean Nights is both chill out and new age music in style, simply perfect for those lazy summer days we all just love. Isn’t it great that there’s things in this world that are just sunny, laidback and positive? Caribbean Nights is simply the perfect summer soundtrack.
Curtis Macdonald – Sunshine Stride
As indicated by the title, Sunshine Stride by Curtis Macdonald is a light and bubbly piece. Initially, we hear delicate synth keys and an arp-like pluck in background. Suddenly a gentle yet fast rhythm and bass join in. It all lay the foundation for the piano, which is introduced a little before the 50 seconds mark. The main theme is quite short, but it is everything that it has to be; Sunny and laid-back.
I have always been impressed with Curtis Macdonald’s melodic talent. It is the well-crafted melody that makes Sunshine Stride so special.
Todd Mosby – Land Of Enchantment
“Wherever one goes in the Southwest, one encounters magic, strength, and beauty,” Ansel Adams wrote. Inspired by the same landscape – and Georgia O’Keeffe‘s art – each of the pieces on Todd Mosby’s summery album Land of Enchantment have similar characteristics.
Will Ackerman – Positano Songs
Positano Songs had its origins in a 2015 visit to Positano, Italy, of which Will Ackerman states: “I’ve been visiting Positano, Italy for decades now. It remains one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It is where Susan and I chose to be married, and a part of my heart will always live there.”
Influenced by the beauty of the city and countryside, as well as the warmth of its people, Ackerman welcomed his muse, picked up some guitars which had been delivered to him from Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars and, voila!
Isle of Freedom – Nexion Project
Isle of Freedom is an album by the Nexion Project. I simply cannot praise this album enough and fell in love with it the first time I heard it. What makes Isle of Freedom into such a fantastic album is the light, uncomplicated atmosphere, and the way the listener is taken on a musical day trip (morning to dawn) around the isle. You get to see both flowers and forests (track 3 and 6). The album has also some magnificent piano and guitar melodies, backed by a very enjoyable synth arrangement. Just check out track no. 2, The Hills over the Town, and listen for yourself.
This is not an album you want if you are looking for something complex and deep – but that is not matching with the sun&summer theme either. Isle of Freedom is an album that will give you a touch of summer even on a cold, winter day.
So yes, the Isle of Freedom do exist! Put this album in your playlist and you’ll be convinced too.
RedHeat – Hanami Nights
RedHeat’s single “Hanami Nights” is a 5 minutes long WOW moment! It is a chilled and laid-back piece with a catchy melody – as beautiful as illuminated cherry blossoms, which is the inspiration behind the song.
Listening to “Hanami Nights” got me thinking about Shannon M. Mullen’s famous quote: “Due to their short blossom time, Sakura blossoms are a metaphor of life itself: beautiful yet fleeting.”
Hanami Nights has a very long build-up, over 2 minutes. But the time is well-spent. RedHeat successfully creates a lot of anticipation for what’s to come; It is like waiting for light to be turned on to illuminate nighttime cherry blossoms. First some gentle synths are heard, then guitar and a bass. Already at this stage the delicate Eastern flavors are easy to notice. Suddenly we are rewarded with the theme. Wow, what a warm, positive and uplifting melody RedHeat has in store for us!
Unbounded – Marc Enfroy
A frequent criticism of today’s music is that it is soulless and without passion. It is mass-produced, uninspired, and easily forgotten. Perhaps it is a symptom of the decline of the music industry or a result of too much-computerized music? It is hard to say why, but it is a sorry situation. But then it is even more refreshing to find an artist who creates music rich with feelings and emotions. Marc Enfroy’s debut album from 2008, Unbounded, is filled to the brim with emotions of love and joy – a perfect soundtrack for warm summer nights!
With all that sunny music, we better remember sunscreen 🙂
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