Out There, Right Here is a six-track album of original pieces by Shirley Cason, an artist I have been reviewing since her 1999 release, Forever In Bloom. Some of her music is piano-based and some is more electronic, and this album is a fascinating combination of both. The music was inspired by the idea of exploring space and how much effort (and expense!) goes into trying to find life "Out There" when the most meaningful place to explore is possibly the one we have "Right Here" on earth. Quoting Shirley:

"The further the music traveled into space, the more I felt drawn to what we might be leaving behind. This album is about that feeling - and the message that home is not something we escape ... it's something we must protect."

It is such a timely message expressed beautifully with both music and deep emotion.

Out There, Right Here begins with "Voyage To the Heart," a mostly ambient piece with a catchy rhythm, the sounds of deep space, piano and a flute. Sometimes light and optimistic turning to darker and more mysterious, it's an intriguing and compelling start! "Lift-off To the Unknown" has a simple, peaceful keyboard melody backed by ambient sounds that suggest vast open space and perhaps darkness. "Between Stars and Earth" is a much-longer track (a bit over eight minutes). It moves slowly with a gentle piano melody that weaves in and out of the more ambient "space" sounds, often expressing a sense of wonder and of moving forward. "Heart of the Cosmos" is also a bit over eight minutes and is more orchestrated and cinematic. At about the halfway point, the piano enters as a solo instrument, played from the heart in a gentle, reflective style. Cellos and other strings enter for a more "grounded" ensemble before the full orchestra returns to take the music to a very calm and peaceful fade out. "Cosmic Breath" begins with a very low rumble that suggests darkness and deep space. Other sounds are not really identifiable, but there could be some thunder and cosmic explosions that might not be altogether friendly. "Homeward Bound" brings us back to earth with gentle ambient sounds that are both soothing and refreshing as we re-commit to bringing peace to our own home planet - a journey very well-worth taking!

Out There, Right Here is available from Shirley Cason's website; as a CD on Amazon and Bandcamp; to stream and download from Bandcamp, Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes; and on streaming platforms including Spotify and Pandora. There are also videos for two of the tracks that you can watch on YouTube or on Shirley's website. I think you'll enjoy the ride!