Checkfield

This is a compilation of Checkfield's music from 1986 to 1990; hardly a decade, though it is a body of work well worth reflecting on. Once the band had developed their sound -- a pleasant amalgam of new age, jazz, folk, and Latin music -- they stuck with that course, which makes Reflections on a Decade a consistent journey despite skipping between selections from their original releases interspersed with some unreleased and new material. It's the newly recorded songs ("With This Heart," "GreySky,") that occasioned the reflection back, and fans will be happy to note that little has changed. While new age music is a uniquely '80s phenomenon, Checkfield's music is built on the foundation of '70s pop/folk artists like David Crosby, James Taylor, etc. At the heart of many of these tracks are acoustic guitars and wisps of vocal harmonies, brought into the modern world with smooth jazz sounds (often reminiscent of Pat Metheny) and synthesizers. The songs presented here are very engaging, as light as childhood memories but tinged with a bittersweet air. Their mix of sounds runs fairly consistent from track to track: acoustic guitars, synthesizers, piano, flute, percussion, and strings are the colors from which they paint. If their songs tend to sound alike (and they do), it's the product of a consistent musical vision rather than a lack of ideas (they seem to have an endless well of pretty melodies at their disposal). Checkfield is capable of more weighty fare, as "The Good Brown Earth" and "Flowers" show, but if you can write lovely songs like "Carousel (A Day in the Park)" and "First Flight," why not? Since the band's original discs are now out of print, Reflections on a Decade is the best way to see what you've been missing. ~ Dave Connolly, All Music Guide