Artist: Michael Guinn Album: El Dorado Narratives Review by Matthew Forss Michael Guinn’s new album, El Dorado Narratives, is a moving masterpiece of instrumental beauty and narrative storytelling covering the time-span around the pre-Columbian era to the first sight of European ships off the American coast, the demise of the buffalo, and the movement of American Indians to urban environs. The sweeping instrumentals contain keyboard accompaniment, light percussion, and nature sounds that are both cinematic and awe-inspiring. Almost all of the narratives stem from American Indian writings and speeches. “Ancestors I” opens with a jumble of nature sounds with a steady, bass guitar beat that is only one note, but it is played several times with the same, slow execution. The beat is interrupted by a keyboard clarinet sound and assorted bells and rasps with flute-like overtones. A hummed melody recreates the beginning of the clarinet-like melody, but it occurs at the end of the song. “Floating Islands” opens with crashing waves and an oscillatory ticking sound. Keyboard washes suggest a cinematic effect with a few pensive piano notes. The sweeping melodies are meditative, but not too slow overall. The ticking sound persists throughout the instrumental song and a drum-kit and background chants take-over. The masculine voice is deep, steady, and emotive. The narrative delivery describes the arrival of the first Europeans coming to America on ships. The crashing ocean wave sounds slowly fade out after the short delivery. “The Fuse” opens with a few small bell sounds in-between a masculine narrative of various treaties signifying American Indian removal from various areas. A scintillating, yet beautiful keyboard horn sound increases in sound to the end of the narrative, before keyboard washes and bell sounds signify a new musical direction. The music stops and contains clarinet-like sounds, light percussion, and piano notes played pensively. The keyboard washes and horn-like sounds rise again, but they are mixed with metallic bells, tribal percussion, and cinematic overtones. “Interlude-Sun Dance” begins with a few, hand drum sounds, twinkling metallic noises, and angelic keyboard washes that rise to cinematic brilliance. All of the sounds are well-balanced and equally-prominent, despite the relatively short song length. “Ancestors II” opens with melodious similarities with “Ancestors I.” The hummed melody is present and falling rain sounds are evident throughout the very short, sub-minute song. “The Buffalo Go” opens with static-driven, rain-like sounds amidst a narrative backdrop. A horn-like sound opens up into a cinematic, keyboard wash that lasts only a few seconds. Light percussion and keyboard horns connote a quasi-rock sound that does not open up into a pure rock solo. Instead, the cinematic washes and light tambourine, drumming, and new age nature of the song makes it a stellar composition. The static noises at the beginning of the song are also at the end of the song. Michael Guinn’s historical, cinematic, and Native American-inspired work of musical art is definitely a strong release with moving instrumentals, emotive displays of composition, and soothing nature sounds. El Dorado Narratives contains three “Ancestors” songs in three parts that all contain similar melodies, but each composition possesses slightly different sounds. The new age and Native American genres are covered very well here, as well as cinematic leanings with good soundtrack potential. The music is not too showy or modern and the narratives are short, but leave their mark without any encumbrance. The eleven compositions showcase Michael’s diverse creations on drums, keyboards, and assorted instrumentation. The result is worthwhile for fans of inventive Native American music, new age music, and listeners with a historical hankering for good music. Review by Matthew Forss Rating: 5 Stars (out of 5)