I’ve always thought music was made as food for the soul. The thick, rich melodies and the fervent waves of sound prepare a meal for your mind. There are a few artists that really tap into this thought process and deliver in robust fashion. Pink Floyd is probably the most popular of these cerebral types. I’m talking about music that feeds that one spot in your mind; the spot that nobody else seems to reach. Keyboardist/percussionist/flutist Paul Lawler and guitarist/bassist/keyboardist Paul Speer deliver massive quantities of that kind of sensation throughout this record. You’ll close your eyes and drift out to seas, where the waters are sometimes calm and other times more rousing and demonstrative. You’ll visit worlds inside your mind that you’ve never ventured to before.

   There is a wondrous power exuding from this record. With the help of French vocalist Satine Orient, Lawler and Speer create landscapes that have peaks and valleys. The track that immediately comes to mind for me is “Petra,” which finds Speer jamming over a canvas of various sounds. There is a low hum in parts of this song that almost sound like a pan flute, but upon closer more intensive listening you can hear breaths. Is this a vocal, perhaps?!  Shhh……don’t tell me, I don’t wanna know. I love the mystery here. The track also finds Lawler delivering a tin whistle-type sound reminiscent of that from the Titanic hit, “My Heart Will Go On.” All of this blends beautifully to create an astonishing body of music.

   “Angkor Wat” is another track that immediately comes to mind when I think of this disc. Speer and his guitar are the main focus on this one, and he delivers a passionate, David Gilmour-like performance that literally bends and shapes itself into something musically penetrating. And speaking of “musically penetrating,” the most diverse track on the disc has got to be “Tahoma.” This song layers an acoustic guitar and an ultra-melodic electric. It has a slight classic 60’s kind of keyboard sound buried deep underneath everything. It has an enchanting breathy flute. And to highlight the track, we get an emotional burst of vocals from Orient that serves as a centerpiece to all the action.

   This CD is one of the most unique in my collection. Is it unique because of the way it sounds? Not really. Is it unique because of the selection of instruments that are involved? No, not really. Then you ask, “Why is this so unique?” This disc is unique because it’s one of the only of its kind that kept my interest all the way through. It’s unique because of its perfection. There’s not a note out of place here. That’s rare, even for records by the best artists in the world. Do I consider Lawler and Speer to be two of the best musicians in the world? Well, I haven’t heard enough from either of them to make that distinction, but this Wonders disc is one hell of a mouthpiece to state their case.