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Leaf Music3
Rock Echoes
Kristan Toczko, harp
Leaf Music, 2024
Tracks that err on the side of the sentimental translate well to the instrument. Toczko arranges the string and vocal melodies of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven so succesfully, for example, that it may as well have initially been written for harp. The same can be said of intense metal songs: in Tool’s Lateralus, Toczko executes an unexpectedly gentle and impressive interpretation of the iconic drum buildup with quick strumming.
The all-too-noticeable changes in many of the tracks, unfortunately, impact their enjoyability. In the introductory solo to Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, Toczko can’t replicate slides or bends performed by guitarist Syd Barrett, making the song sound more hopeful, and less melancholy, than was originally intended. She also misses some of the lyricism of Freddie Mercury’s vocals in Queen’s Love of My Life. The worst offender is Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Californication, which becomes briefly unrecognizable because of how much the harpist has to sacrifice, in order to accommodate the project’s instrumentation.
Playlist
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