Review Summary: A rather safe approach, but a promising debut.
The violin is an extremely difficult instrument to master. It can take months simply figuring out how to hold the violin and bow. However, if you've been playing for a while, you can make it sound really good, and can even experiment a little. This is what I felt Lindsey had tried to do in this album. Now, first thing's first - Lindsey Stirling is a talented violinist. Playing since the age of six, she can hear music and simply improvise the violin to the music. She doesn't have to figure out the notes, she can just play it, like a singer can just sing.
I wasn't too sure what to think after hearing what the album consisted of. Dubstep and violin sounds like a rather odd combination, though seeing how versatile the violin can be, I was intrigued. Upon listening to it , I realized this album is genuinely very good. The way Lindsey managed to blend the violin with the background beat was very unusual, as she played the violin almost like a vocal line.
This was a rather solid album, with several standout tracks. "Crystallize", for example, is the epitome of this album. The song was taken at a slower pace than the others, though was more enjoyable than the others, as it had a much deeper and more unusual sound. "Elements" and "Moon Trance" also stood out to me. The former as it seemed to tell much more of a story with the loud moments and the soft moments, and the latter as it was a modernized thriller-esque piece that was haunting but could still be danced to.
The problem with this album is how frustrating it is. Though the idea of playing the violin to dubstep music was ambitious in itself, she hadn't really done much else apart from this. It's like she was trying to see whether people would like it or not, as opposed to showing off her skills. Lindsey has some incredible talent, and instead of displaying all she can do with the violin, she kept all the songs very similar, as if she hadn't wanted to stretch too far from the norm.
Overall, this was an enjoyable album, if a little on the safe side. There aren't any particularly atrocious or overwhelming songs, but it's still a good forty-five minute piece. I'd say this is more Lindsey kind of advertising herself. It doesn't give too much away about what she can do, but at the same time, shows some of her capabilities. I'd like to see what she comes up with next time.
