Craig Safan releases his new album, Sirens, through Varèse Sarabande. Sirens is an original composition based on the tales of the classic Greek myth The Odyssey and the amazing locations where the tales took place...

Craig Safan is a composer whose music to The Last Starfigher (1984) has always been a favourite of mine. Freed from the constraints of composing for a movie, I was looking forward to see what he would unleash. The results are truly magical.

“Sirens is inspired partly by my love of The Odyssey and partly by my lifelong love of myths. I've been enchanted by both since I was a child,” said Safan. “These tales and their magic have resonated throughout my life. With Sirens I'm not portraying the literal tales in The Odyssey, but rather the innermost feelings and memories they convey. The inward experience and journey, the wanderings of our lives, our relationship to family and home, and the deeper sonorities of existence.”

The project contains 13 tracks (54 min, 08 sec) and in places I was reminded of Penka Kouneva's wonderfully rich concept album A Warrior's Odyssey. I'd strongly advise you to not read the sleeve notes and instead soak up the music, as its presented, at least a few times before heading on over to discover the setting and inspiration for each piece.

It's a rich and deeply layered collection of tracks. It's great to hear something that is original coming from Safan that sidesteps the usual constraints of writing for someone else's project.

The album concludes with arguably the most memorable, and certainly the most moving, 'Icarus (For J.H.)' which really does leave you wanting more.

10

Darren Rea