Seek the Landscape of the Inner Spirit
If you’re like me, you’ve frequently sought solace in music during these turbulent days. Juliet Lyons‘ latest project, The Light Within, is the perfect album to nestle into for a restorative respite. Created as a passion project by Lyons to uplift, strengthen, and heal; her music beckons listeners to seek the soothing inner corridors and landscapes of the spirit.
Several years in the making, Lyons also hopes these songs help others find and remember their own light. Lyons intimate yet ethereal vocals, and her sincere, simple lyrics combined with poignant, often soaring music and melodies create a lush space of serenity.
Juliet Lyons, Musicians, and Music on The Light Within
With a successful career creating music for film and television, Juliet’s skillful production abilities shine on this album. Beautifully layered vocal harmonies are balanced with sensitive attention to instrumentation. Judy Kang’s cello parts on “Stillness” and the title track are exquisitely featured. Ron Korb’s flute work on “Eternal Now” is adeptly mixed for maximum evocative effect. Other notable performances include David Vito Gregoli on programming, sitar, bass, and guitars on “Flow;” Ricky Kej on keyboards and programming on “Lokah Samastah;” and Lyons’ husband, Rupesh Menon, who contributes vocals on “Lokah Samastah” and “Eternal Now.”
World Music Influences
As a seasoned world traveler, I asked Juliet how this has informed her music. “The most obvious influence you’ll hear on The Light Within is Indian. My husband Rupesh is Indian and since we met, I have had many opportunities to travel to and spend time in India. On one of my visits, I got to scratch the surface of Carnatic music by taking some Carnatic singing lessons.”
Juliet continues, “But even from childhood I have always loved the music of different countries and cultures. I would usually buy albums of the music I’d hear on the radio during my travels and become a bit obsessed with them. I even had an alter ego – Dr. Lyons, Ethnomusicologist – and would spend free time recording these pretend radio shows where I traveled to different countries and secretly record and report about obscure musical traditions, using recordings I checked out from the music library. So while sonically there are obvious Indian elements in many of the songs, the global consciousness – the respect and celebration of varied cultures, played a big role in the overarching messages and lyrical themes of the album.”
“Om Shanti,” “Calm,” and “Heal You” are standout tracks. However, this is one of those albums I think is best appreciated by listening from start to finish as it takes you on a transformative journey to tranquility. Her influences for this album include Snatam Kaur, Wah!, A.R. Rahman, Lisa Gerrard, and the Chill channel on Sirius.
I highly recommend adding The Light Within to your music library. It will clear your mind of stress and worry and fill your heart with peace.
Reviewed by Leanne Wood; Yoga Music Aficionada at Bliss Bubble Radio and Bliss-Chasing Blogger at www.BlissBubble.com. Prior to this, Leanne was the founding manager of the mantra rock band, Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe, the founder and director of the non-profit project The Shakti Tribe Foundation which offered empowering peace concert programs in jails, prison and halfway houses and was the co-founder of the ground-breaking “Yoga for your Ears” internet radio station Sacred Sounds Radio. She is currently working on her Eat, Pray, Love meets Almost Famous memoir, which chronicles her often surreal life on the road with a yoga band on the rise and the lessons learned in the bargain.