Think of Brett Michael Spunt (http://www.brettmichaelspunt.com) as a painter as well as musician. His instrumentals on Rebirth conjure vivid images of blue skies and wide-open oceans. They don't create moods as much as they do portraits, filling the brain with a vast array of colours and bright lights.
Opening the CD with sparkling keyboards on "The Mind of Spunt," you almost think that Spunt is about to shift into New Age territory until Lori Moran's disembodied vocals segues seamlessly into Spunt's scorching guitar riffs. It's a transcendent moment, a woman's lovely voice melting into Spunt's axe, which then explodes into dazzling, otherworldly soloing. It's utterly breathtaking.
Moran is a secret ingredient to Spunt's prog-rock recipe. Her honeyed voice brings warmth to the proceedings, especially on "Interplanetary Voyage," in which her dreamy vocals give an Ofra Haza vibe. On the flamenco-flavoured "Spanish Soulnata," Moran is completely radiant, taking Spunt's AOR leanings into world-music territory.
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However, Spunt is never overshadowed. His phenomenal guitar playing explores various textures, producing an intellectual and emotional experience that doesn't need words to be fully appreciated. On earphones, Spunt's work is downright spectacular.
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