Review Summary: Very Big Sky may seem tame and lacking an edge, but the truth is that the melancholic yet positive emotions that pour from these songs will resonate in the listener's head long after the last notes ring out.
Have you ever looked up at the sky? By that question, I mean really took in the true majesty of what you are witnessing above you? It's a vast expanse that can appear dark and ominous or bright and cheery, and even change from one to the other in a span of ten or fifteen minutes. The sky can be used to ponder all of life's difficult questions, or rejoice in the simple and straightforward beauty of a clear summer day. It truly reflects whatever we want it to be, and
Very Big Sky gives off the ambling, extraordinarily huge feel that one associates with the imagery while inserting absolutely electric moments of reflection and catharsis. The Candlepark Stars is the moniker for one man named Kerry Muzzey, but what he accomplishes with his music is seemingly more than one man should be able to offer to the world. For all of the composers that provide us with incredibly complex song structures and technically proficient music, there truly aren't many out there that provide us with simple beauty. What is heard on this extended play is songwriting that is intended to make the listener reflect inwards and think on what life means. With beautiful guitar lines and swirling ambient keyboards, Muzzey creates songs that introspectively cruise along at a lackadaisical pace allowing the listener to become completely engulfed in the atmosphere created.
The true genius of the less-is-more ethos of The Candlepark Stars is the subtleties that Muzzey employs in the music. The church bells that ring out at the end of "A Boy With Wings" finishes off the gorgeous and meandering piano piece in a way that no other sound effect could. In essence it creates a truly momentous climax that ends in not a scream, but a whisper. While it can be argued that the glacial pace could put some listeners off, the exercise in patience is one that is handsomely rewarded. This is a case where the journey matters much more than the destination. The slow-motion reverb on the simple guitar line of "Can't Break Me" is haunting and uplifting at the same time. The small cymbal splashes and distorted guitars that organically come later in the song allow for a subtle mood shift and propels the song into near-perfect territory. The mixture of ambient and post rock on this album is what allows
Very Big Sky to be such a personal listen; each person will hear hints of sadness where others will hear redemption, and the exclusion of vocals help to propel this idea even further. The simplicity of the notes played give a much stronger, pointed direction, and envelopes the listener in larger than life soundscapes. The orchestral beginning to "Inner Beauty Counts More" is certainly massive in scope and yet simple in execution, leaving one to drown in the sweet compositions.
In my mind there are few experiences that are equivalent to connecting with a composition of music, but when it inevitably happens, there are hardly ever words that seem to do it justice.
Very Big Sky may seem tame and lacking an edge, but the truth is that the melancholic yet positive emotions that pour from these songs will resonate in the listener's head long after the last notes ring out on "West Texas Sunset". There is a story to be told on this album, but the beauty is that the story is different each time, for each listener. Music is such an intensely personal affair, and The Candlepark Stars will allow you to make your own truth from the vast sky that unfolds before you on this wonderful EP.
