Album Notes

Read excerpts from the review by J.J. Biener, Muse's Muse (access the entire review at www.elizabethmeacham.com):

Then came the title track, ECOLOGOS. That one knocked me out. It is a combination of spoken word, poetry, chant, and singing with a mbira (“thumb piano”) in the background. It is recorded using multiple tracks so each of these elements overlaps the others and forms intricate patterns of sound and music. The theme of the lyrics is [man’s] relationship with nature and general disrespect we have shown her. This could easily have descended into the realm of the preachy and obnoxious or the political, but it didn’t. It was intriguing and engaging. It was at this point that I got what she was doing.

The next song was LAY DOWN IN THE RIVER. It continued the themes of the previous song but from a different perspective. The multiple tracks in this piece were an exercise in counterpoint and harmony which supported and enhanced the melody and lyrics. Again, Elizabeth could have missed the mark by making it overly complicated or overly simplistic, but she didn’t. She balanced the two perfectly to create a wonderful atmosphere for the listener.

And so the CD goes, track after track. Each song unique but somehow tied in with the previous songs. THE TREES ARE TALKING TO US is another example of spoken word combined with chant and music. It is written from the point of view of the trees and how they might view humanity and how our nature is so different from their’s.

When the CD was over, my player switched back to the first track, BE STILL, and I listened to it again. This time with a new perspective. This time with a new understanding. It was as if I was hearing it for the first time. This time I got it. The same with the second track, WHERE HAVE ALL THE STORIES GONE? I got that one, too.

Few CDs I receive get more than one listen, but this one was definitely an exception...This is an artist worthy of our support if for no other reason than to hear what she comes up with next."