Darrel Treece-Birch – Healing Touch
Darrel Treece was nice enough to send me many of his albums for review last year. I reviewed most of them, but one remained, and it might have been the best.
Darrel Treece-Birch is a multi-instrumentalist with the melodic hard rock band
Ten, and the progressive rock band Nth Ascension. It was after a review of Nth Ascension’s latest album that I requested Darrel send me his other solo albums.
I was fortunate to be the recipient of 2017’s release Healing Touch. It is a wonderful album full of deep, emotional and spiritually uplifting keyboards and guitar.
Healing Touch, according to Treece-Birch, is “the struggle of one man, who represents us all, frail and strong, conflicted yet resolved, filled with the turmoil that finds the resolution to move forward in life. Words have a way of rewriting our future, but so does sound and maybe in a more profound way because it speaks to our heart, where possibility, is infinite. Ten songs, ten messages of change, each transforming us from the inside out. This work is nothing short of a manifesto of the soul”.
The album opens with a stirring charge, “God’s Prescription and never lets up through to the closer “God’s Medicine”. Powerful glimmering lead electric guitar, thumping bass and drums and electric Vangelis-like keyboard work.
Every song is a journey, as is every solo effort for Treece-Birch. “From the Mouth” is a heavier rocker full of deep bass at the start and growling guitars throughout. The keyboards serve as support for the heavier guitarwork on this track.
Cool and funky keyboards welcome you to “Cast it Out”. It is one of my favorites.
The “Fruit of the Spirit” is full of birdsong, windchimes and other natural sounds that uplift before the warm keyboards fill the soundscape. Another of the best tracks on the album, for sure.
“The Stand” is a powerful song for a very important moment in the development of the album’s theme.
The electric guitar and bass guitar work on “The Release” will bring back memories of Pink Floyd’s Wall. Specifically, “Another Brick in the Wall”.
The keyboard and chime work on “The Expanse” will bring back memories of Mike Oldfield.
The guitar work and inspired choir sounds bring the entire album to a wonderful close on the final track, “God’s Medicine”. A powerful closer indeed.
Treece-Birch plays all
Instruments, including: Korg Keyboards, (Trinity Triton Extreme, Kronos), Ibanez
bass guitar, Takamine G series guitar, Sheridan Epiphone Guitar, Mapex drums,
and Zildjian cymbals.
The artwork for the album: “Starting Again”, was created by Darrel Treece-Birch
Sleeve art photography was taken by Darrel Treece-Birch.
Healing Touch, was recorded at The War Room, Fleetwood, UK. It was engineered, produced and mixed by Darrel Treece-Birch.
Please go out and explore Darrel Treece-Birch’s back catalog of solo releases. They are full of inspirational and emotional instrumental music which will both lift your spirit, focus your attention and take you away from life’s everyday occurrences.
Track List
- God’s Prescription – 12:06
- From the Mouth – 5:14
- Cast it Out – 5:20
- Re-Boot – 6:06
- The Fruit of the Spirit – 5:22
- The Stand – 7:31
- The Release – 6:42
- The Expanse – 6:33
- No Fear Here – 5:43
- God’s Medicine – 3:17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owhjDZqweEMs
https://darreltreece-birch.bandcamp.com/album/healing-touch
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/darreltreecebirch3