Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

If you read Cross Rhythms' recent article you will know that Stephen Sproat has had a hugely varied musical career with some unexpected twists and turns along the way. Now here's another one. This is a collaboration with pianist and arranger Paul Crump and features an instrumental arrangement of a ballad that was first heard on Sproat's 2016 'Fruit For The Soul'. Watersmeet is a beautiful spot in Exmoor where the East and West Lyn meet on their way to the Bristol Channel at Lynmouth. In summer it is a perfect place for a picnic but in winter walkers need the correct gear to make what can be quite a challenging trek. The piano version on this single shows Watersmeet in its more benign light and is a pleasant melody played very well. The aim was to echo Debussy and the piece will certainly please those who like the work of the great French composer. While I can see why this has been titled "Watersmeet (Classical Piano)" personally I would define its style as ambient/meditational and my daughter, who happened to be in the room when I played it, commented that this was just the sort of music she would play while revising for exams and while she no longer has exams she would consider buying an album of music like this if it is ever released - so that's one sale then. While I never play music when I am studying I agree that this does make for a pleasant listen with the added advantage of bringing back memories of a favourite spot in a lovely part of the world. This single is not going to set the charts alight but as a taster for a full album it certainly whets the appetite.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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