The
record wastes no time in introducing us to Sarah’s beautiful
voice, starting right off with the 10-year-old musician’s
pearly pipes. Indeed, the young singer’s talents combined
with her parents’ accomplished vocals and instrumentation
result in what I can only imagine Heaven on Earth sounds like –
except I don’t have to imagine it when I can hear it right on
this CD.
What
really impresses me about Sarah’s angelic tones is that they
are the result of her just singing in her natural voice,
without any attempt whatsoever to go over the top with the
hysterical vocal histrionics that have become de rigueur for
much of today’s bland and soulless pop music. This alone not
only makes her one of the better child singers of all time, but
also one of the better singers of any age and era.
This
is where I might be expected to write the time-honored cliché
that, with the addition of Sarah, 2002 has never sounded
better. That would be nice to say but not true, since 2002 has
never sounded less than exceptional. But Sarah’s unique
contributions to the group definitely take it to all-new highs.
As
always, Pamela and Randy excel in their long-held roles. After
all, they built 2002’s classic, lush sound, with Sarah adding
new layers. Pamela plays harp, flute, and keyboards and
harmonizes beautifully with her daughter. Randy handles guitar,
bass, keyboards, percussion, and vocals. Randy sings lead on
the title track and features prominently on album closer “Ever
Onward.” Both tunes could very well be songs by progressive
rockers Yes, especially due to the vocal harmonies and the fact
that Randy sounds similar to Yes vocalist Jon Anderson.
If
this album is any indication, 2002 shows no signs of leveling
off or slowing down. In fact, they’re just getting started on
yet another chapter of their long and winding magic carpet
ride. Whether you’ve been with them from the beginning or are
boarding for the first time, it’s a musical trip well worth
taking.
--Raj
Manoharan
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