Samer Fanek is one of the most promising and interesting New Age music artists out there. Today he releases his second album “Guide Me”. Does it live up to the expectations?
Samer Fanek debuted in 2016 with “Wishful Thinking”. For it he won several awards, including Best New Age Music Debut Album here on Newagemusic.guide. In our review we wrote: – “Wishful Thinking” not 100 % perfect, but it’s ambitious, complex and truly inspired. It makes it into one of this year’s finest debut recordings.” Now the wait for his second album is over.
Grand Opening
“Guide Me” starts with the grandiose “Grand Opening”, followed by the thoughtful “Long Time Ago”. There’s a wonderful hint of classical composers in Samer’ music, such as Debussy and Ravel – but the main influence is Yanni. That said, Samer is not just a Yanni copy, but a unique and extremely talented artist. It takes a master to compose and play on the same level as a master.
“Long Time Ago” fades beautifully into the next piece, “Newborn”. It starts slowly, then there’s an intricate build-up to a very impressive orchestral conclusion. It is beautiful beyond words.
Now You See
The song “Now You See” is like the soundtrack to an A-list Hollywood movie. Anyone with contacts there should immediately submit this as a demo. The title track is an intricate neo classical piece that just continues to evolve. Here Samer is not just on par with Yanni; George Winston would have been happy with this piano melody. Bravo!
“Guardian” and “Before Dawn” are lovely, romantic piano melodies. At this stage we notice what a well-balanced album this is. The mix of piano ballads and orchestral arrangement is, as always, amazing. “Chasing Time” is a dramatic piece with wonderful backing. Fans of Samer’s previous album will feel right at home.
For Lila
“For Lila” is a jewel of a song. There’s a very well made build-up here; the first minute or so is thoughtful and contemplative, then powerful strings and other orchestral arrangements take us on an unforgettable journey. Lila should be very thankful indeed. “Sense of Purpose” is an upbeat and happy tune that make you think that anything is possible. “Back to Hometown” is a feel-good piano melody, and a perfect album closer. It leaves you wanting more. Since “Guide Me” is only 39 minutes long, hitting the replay button seems like a great idea.
Samer’s second album is in many ways an interesting release. We already knew that he mastered the orchestral format. “Guide Me” shows that Samer also is a great piano composer and performer. Perhaps we will get a solo piano album next time?
In conclusion: “Guide Me” is a fabulous second album! It is a proof that Samer Fanek is in the elite division of new artists in our genre, and that his first album “Wishful Thinking” was more than wishful thinking. In this context it is tempting to say that Samer in “Guide Me” shows that he is in no need of guidance either.
Score: 95/100 – See how I rate music here
You may sample and purchase the album on samerfanek.com.
The album is also available on:
CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/samerfanek2
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Me-Samer-Fanek/dp/B07KV4MH4Z
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/guide-me/1444521816?app=itunes
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Samer_Fanek_Guide_Me?id=Bqrcmx7mb6hgilynecks3peid2y