New Life - the Definitive Edition

'Soaring violin and guitar weaving around delicately passionate female vocals, underpinned by driving rhythmic complexity; Solstice were an unlikely band to succeed in 1980s Britain. Yet because of their unique vision, audiences in search of an alternative to the shiny 'product' of the music industry reveled in the band's performances at all the major festivals and sell-out tours, on which they made the legendary Marquee club their home. Some seven years after the band split (not counting an all-hands-on-deck one-off reunion in 1986), a fair number of double-takes were occasioned by the unheralded appearance of New Life in the mail order lists of GFT and other specialist music dealers. But it was, indeed, more than a mere flashback Solstice had resurfaced. With Andy Glass at the controls, the production was much closer to the live sound than on Silent Dance, with a fuller dynamic doing justice to bassist Craig Sunderland, adding depth and power to the stage favourites that hadn't made it onto the debut. The lavish swathes of keyboards are still present, but Marc Elton's violin is more prominent, blending with Andy's guitar to frame Heidi Kemp's commanding vocals. Here this landmark album is available digitally for the first time.In a sense, this album picks up where 1984's Silent Dance left off. New Life is basically a {new age} rock album, and, while it features the same excellent level of musicianship that can be expected of Solstice, there's a certain sameness to the overall sound of the album. The electric guitar is brought to the front but seems to blend into a glossy studio sheen. There is less folk present than on their other releases and much less of a live sound. Despite this, Pathways stands out on the album and is one of the hardest-rocking tracks the band has recorded.' ~ Rob Caldwell, All Music Guide