SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JULES MAXWELL – CYCLES

Jules Maxwell
Cycles
Ghost Palace

Composer and Dead Can Dance keyboardist, Jules Maxwell, is back with his new album Cycles. A contemplative collection of instrumental offerings, this album is definitive of the word ‘soothing’. It is a departure from the work he does with Dead Can Dance which tends towards deep tribal sounds and arcane Gothic elements.

Much like the first single “Deeper Sleeper”, Cycles is the perfect companion to accomplish a restful sleep. For those who have trouble getting to sleep or require background music to drift off to, this album will work quite well.

The music in this release starts off simply in a way that it is easy to grasp on to, nothing heavy is required of the listener in this ideal closer to a long day. Tracks like “If You Must Go” feel free and lighthearted whereas “Buttonwillow” sits lower in the piano register making it broodier and introspective.

When listening to Cycles while drifting off to sleep, “The Warmth of Him” and “A Rose on the Road” will surely lead to a deep and heavy REM sleep being the two more soulful and ruminative selections from the album.

While Cycles is much different from the work Maxwell does with Dead Can Dance, there are elements within the latter part of this album that hold similar atmospheric vibes that would lead to some interesting dreams.

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