Geoffrey Armes: Reviews

Reviews

Elemental Red
CD baby

Various shorts

Beautiful Acoustic Work
Reviewer: Inside Connection (Rich Hughes) (click for website)
Elemental Red, the new CD by transplanted Brit folkster Geoffrey Armes features some beautiful acoustic work coloring an album full of well written ballads.

ijamming March hitlist
Reviewer: Tony Fletcher (click for website)
My fellow New York-based South London expat, Palace fan and iJamming! Pub regular releases a second solo album of poetic, personal songs set to his mostly acoustic and always dexterous guitar work. There’s middle Eastern and Romanic influences at work here in the impressive vocal ululating and guitar flourishes, but one song proves especially close to (our old) home: ’Gypsy Hill’, complete with references to Anerley and Rosendale.

intimations of Rumi
Reviewer: lethel
Can you feel this music blowing across your soul? At times a whisper, at times a full gale. Ecstatic, expressing the deepest longings and experiences of our humanity. This cd embodies the strength that comes from daring to be vulnerable. Whether played appasionata or adagio, always con amore y vivace.

Amazing space that is filled with a rainbow of coloured strands of sound.
Reviewer: David Meacham
Geoffrey is really getting it together in this album. The multi-coloured strands of sound weave a beautiful space; a cathedral of sound. The voice, too, is now confident and from time to time really cuts loose. A great album. Congratulations, Geoffrey.

“Elemental Red” shines as an example of Mr. Armes talents and contains varieties
Reviewer: Ali
“Elemental Red” shines as an example of Mr. Armes talents and contains varieties in instruments, message, and mood. I can’t really choose a track and say it is the best; each one is different. Therefore, the work is unpredictable, in a very good way. The songs are not “constructed”, like so much of what hear today. Instead the album and tracks on there own are a flow of melody and taste that continuously evolve. This album is so stunningly beautiful that it evokes a vibrant world of harmony and ecstasy. It is affecting music that will surely make you a faithful fan.

An instant favorite!
Reviewer: nan
I love listening to this cd. Sometimes it seems that everything is deliberately striving for complexity that it’s a relief to come across something as simple as a man and his guitar and a delight to hear how it sounds in the hands of a master. The songs resonate on many levels and tell stories of longing, loss, redemption -- there is even a track that lets the audience know the effect they have on the performer! Oh, I just have to mention this too because it’s one of my favorite instuments ... check out the toy piano on the first track!

A inner journey brought out to the world
Reviewer: EthnoMusicMan
Geoffrey Armes spent a lot of time alone in his studio, crafting, exploring, and bringing to the light of day, his inner music. It’s here now on "Elemental Red", presented as a fine mix of acoustic guitar, moody vocals, and ethno drumming. I like to play this CD when I want something interesting and vibrant to listen to, but not in my face or loud. Something evocative and insightful, yet soothing and musical. When you play "Elemental Red" you can hear the experience and wisedom of someone who’s been around the block a time or two, but who after all that is still not musically cynical nor worn out. Geoffrey’s music is fresh and hopeful, but not naive or insipid. Geoffrey’s lyrics are about real things, real experiences. They are not silly pop. You can listen to the lyrics all by themselves and learn something. Or you can just let the music flow over you, and join for a moment or two with his journey.

Confident beauty!
Reviewer: Habib
Oh oh, this one is so rich. Whereas his other one ’Green Love’ kinda invited you in, this one reaches out to you. This is so confident and assertive, I love it. Very cool. Love the layered guitars and the mesh of percussion. And I’m just getting to explore the poetry. It’s gonna stay in my player for a long time!