A New Kind of Love is Robin Spielberg’s first release of new original material in eight years, and it was definitely worth the wait! With fifteen albums to her credit, Spielberg has matured gracefully both as an artist and as a woman who has experienced vast ups and downs in her life and has expressed many of them via her music. Spielberg has been one of my favorite artists since we first bumped into each other on the internet sometime around 1995, and I do believe this is her best album to date. Anyone who has seen Spielberg perform in concert knows that the stories behind her music are almost as big a part of the concert as the music itself, giving insight into the individual pieces as well as into the artist herself - truly a human being like the rest of us with a family, a garden, pets, love, pain, joy, memories, and all that makes up a life well-lived. Spielberg’s liner notes also tell the stories behind the music, and although they are much briefer than the stories told live, they offer vivid pictures of how the music was inspired. AND, Spielberg is an amazing pianist who puts heart and soul into her music, communicating a wide range of emotions to the listener. Most of the CD is on the quiet side, allowing it to be in the background, but this is music that needs to be savored again and again to be fully appreciated.

All of the pieces are excellent, but I have some favorites. “A Walk Between The Raindrops” comes from a charming recollection of wondering as a child why her father never got wet on rainy days. His reply to her was that he just walked between the raindrops and that he’d show her how one day, creating many mysterious images. The music is fluid and graceful and yet suggests the falling of raindrops. “The Orange Fox Waits” is a tender love song for a beloved family cat who sadly passed away the day after the song was recorded. “This Busy Life” reminds me a bit of one of my other favorites of Spielberg’s pieces, “The Nature of Time.” Full of the energy of a fast-paced life, it also exudes joy and exhilaration rather than stress. A calm interlude in the middle tells of the peace of sitting at the piano, letting everything else go for a time. This should become a Spielberg classic! Robin has done several concert tours in Korea, and has included two popular Korean tunes that have her own special treatment. “Picking Flowers” is another classic Spielberg piece. If you know anything about Spielberg, you know that she absolutely loves her garden. This little piece spills over with joy and sunshine. The title track is about being comfortable being alone and also about the camaraderie of friends. Thoughtful and introspective, it’s a gorgeous piece. “Seeing You Seeing Me” is a loving tribute to a longtime best friend who is always there, no matter what. The CD closes with “It’s All Just As Well,” a piece I adore. It’s a bluesy piece that tells of acceptance and letting go of past dreams and ambitions, and is a great close to a great album. Brava, Robin!

I’m sure A New Kind of Love is going to be garnering a lot of attention, so pick up a copy and ENJOY! It’s available from robinspielberg.com, amazon.com, and iTunes.