My album review!
Ave Maria (Caccini)
I must say that I am impressed with Gabe. This is no easy song and requires hitting a few high notes quickly and accurately. The arrangement is good and distinct. Nothing else to say other than it is a very solid performance in line with the high standard of the prior version by Tom Cully.
In Paradisum [/size]
Since we had the
music video first and this piece was also sung in concerts, we know the song already. But that does not make the song any less powerful when listening again and again and again. Rocco’s voice leads the song masterfully and the piece is very touching and elevating. A favorite on the album for me; this piece simply cannot be denied its rightful place as a fan favorite ever since it was sung in Ely 2018.
Salve Regina
This new arrangement adds an amazing solo part by Rocco to the piece. Some stated when
Hope came out that, while they enjoyed the piece, it was a bit slow and repetitive for them. I disagreed with them at the time though I understood why they felt this way. With this new iteration it certainly cannot be argued that this issue has been left unresolved. With a new introductory solo and what sounds like a redo of the
Hope solo at the end, I think that this song has now had new life breathed into it. Excellent.
Sanctus
Ah, the obligatory “Sanctusâ€, how predictable, tired, and boring right?
My perennial complaint that they need to stop putting this song on every single album they release has not been heard; and for once I am glad that I have been ignored
. Libera has managed to renew this song for me with the new verse which adds a new twist to this all too familiar piece. The new verse actually sounds quite intimate in its recording; my guess being that they used a smaller number of boys than usual and maybe a closer microphone or set of microphones. I’m no audio or sound recording expert so I could be wrong, but whatever they did just makes the song sound more amazing.
Ave Maria (Prizeman)
Those of us who have heard this in concert know that Merlin does an excellent job on this song and this recording is no different as he has a very distinct voice with a rather pure tone. The recording is actually distinct from the live version. Particularly the instrumentation here is interesting with what sounds like a violin whose strings are being plucked or more likely a harp beginning at 2:50 which starts as a transition for the last section of the song. The song is well done and the instrumentation unique. The live version was good and there is less power/projection on the solo verses than in concerts (which is to be expected), but this album version comes with all of the necessary polish we would expect.
Lacrymosa
With Alex’s lower voice the song is markedly different from previous studio album recordings (
Luminosa and
Peace). Ben Crawley on the former and Ben Phillipp on the latter have a softer, sweeter, and higher tone to their voices which makes the singing a bit incongruous with the very weighty words about crying out to heaven for help out of fear and terror. The mood is suitably darker and at first I was put off by it because I am accustomed to the previous versions, but after a second listen I was totally hooked. An effective counterbalance is created between Alex’s lower voice on the one hand, and the choir as a whole combined with Leo’s higher notes on the other. This serves to create a very mysterious effect that elevates this song for me. A very good refresh on this old, but certainly not tired, Libera song.
Voca Me
This is the same version sung in recent concerts and has distinctive high notes. The lyrics have been changed to all Latin and, while the melody may seem a bit different due to where the emphasis on the new Latin words falls, the melody remains unchanged. This is another successful reboot of a fan favorite. Good job Leo!
The Prayer
An excellent piece sung very well by Daniel. The last time we heard this song recorded was by Isaac on the live album “Libera in America†and Daniel is a worthy successor to that solo part both in recent concerts and on this album. We have discussed this song and Daniel’s excellent solo a lot after the recent concerts at this forum so I will not add anything more as my personal appreciation and enjoyment of this song has already been expressed.
Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep
This song is an exact duplicate in terms of the arrangement as
Free. It is a peaceful and calming piece. Gabe’s solo, and what I assume are Leo’s high notes, are solid.
Benedictus Deus
A beautiful song for sure. The arrangement and everything else, aside from the soloist, is identical to the
Hope album so any comparison can only speak to that difference alone. While TDL was arguably one of Libera’s best soloists in terms of his pure tone and ability, this version certainly compares to that one. Having listened to both side by side, including the solo parts alone, I am at a loss to choose a favorite version of this song. That fact in and of itself speaks volumes for how well Leo measured up on this piece. Excellent.
Mother of God
Last heard on
Eternal, this song, which sounds like it is sung acappella, is incredibly peaceful and touching. The arrangement appears identical to the previous version although the recording quality is a tad higher. I am glad that this song is being reintroduced as the peaceful quality it brings definitely makes it a go-to for when I am feeling stressed and need the comfort of music to alleviate the same.
Overall, the album is solid. When I originally saw the track list I was disappointed by the repeat songs, but these reboots, new soloists, and new arrangements have surpassed my expectations. Well done, Libera, on another new album. I will be listening to many of these songs constantly from now on!
