A new review of Evanescent Horizons has just appeared at The Progressive Subway, receiving a rating of 6/10.
Ratings are always a rather imperfect way of describing music, so I was more interested in what the reviewer actually had to say about the album. And there is quite a lot there to appreciate.
The reviewer understood the central idea of Evanescent Horizons: the question of whether love can have value even when it is unrequited, unrecognized, or ultimately lost. He simply doesn’t agree with my answer. And that’s perfectly fair.
There are criticisms of the music itself, too — the vocals, some of the songwriting, the classical arrangements, and the production. Some of these observations I find useful, some I don’t entirely agree with, and some are simply matters of taste. That’s what a review is supposed to do: engage with the work rather than simply approve or reject it.
What matters more to me is what the reviewer clearly found in the album. He describes it as a “wild ride worth experiencing”, praises the guitar work and the cinematic atmosphere of Transitio Mundi, and acknowledges the scale of creating a record like this as a solo project. Most importantly, he ultimately describes Evanescent Horizons as a piece of art with “surprising depth” and says it is worthy of the listener’s time. That means far more to me than the number at the bottom of the page.
I didn’t make Evanescent Horizons to be universally liked. I made it because I had something I needed to say — something I wasn’t even entirely sure I believed myself when I began writing it. A review doesn’t have to agree with the album to be meaningful. Sometimes the most interesting reviews are the ones that engage with the ideas behind the music, find something to challenge, and start a conversation.
Thank you to The Progressive Subway for listening, engaging with the record, and taking the time to write about it.
Read the full review:
The Progressive Subway — Review: Darkwave – Evanescent Horizons