Reviews
"Time to Soar" by Mary Gospe - Written by Steve Sheppard, One World Music Radio
December 17, 2019
There are many beautiful touches on this latest release entitled Time to Soar by Mary Gospe and it is this quite emotive musical voyage we find ourselves traversing today. The inspirational vibes we will find within this release are just what the world desperately needs right now.
To emphasise that statement you only have to listen to the lyrics of the opening piece entitled We Are One, it says it all in one song, a track stunningly performed by Gospe, and those nice touches I referred to earlier are all there, almost inventing a new genre, perhaps new age rock?
There are quite a few stand out tracks on this album and the guitar is utterly majestic, many a wonderful negative chord structure, those haunting melodic tones that only really good guitarists and bassists can give you as well, on the pieces Walk Slowly and The Black Crow Prophecy, a song that caws its way into your heart, literally.
Gospe’s voice has that uniqueness that has a mixture of rock/folk singer combined, perhaps given the previous track even a little Sheryl Crow! With offerings like the title composition entitled Time To Soar you have an utter winner, inspirational, empowering and so colourfully fluent.
I adored the Beatles musical tip of the hat and references at the beginning of I Choose Love and the almost anthem like Free To Be Me, a track that had a little organ within it I adored, and in parts reminded me of early Deep Purple in tone and style.
Tracks like Pendulum had that enticing energy about their construction, while offerings like Unity contained a message within that should be a global anthem, the light rock ethic was deeply powerful without having to be in your face. I adore this style of rock vocal based music; it leaves you with a real energy of possible change through positivity.
The smooth and calming tempo of Ride The Wave is a very timely reminder of how things are today and how we are all being controlled by the leaders and their Medias, we must all indeed seek that higher vibration, if I could pass this clever, but incredibly true song to millions of people instantly I would, but wait, I can, and what’s more I will.
As we delve into the darker regions of the release we come across a track with a real late 60’s early 70’s feel, Let’s Break Away. This fast paced upbeat anthem, calls for us to have a little spontaneity in our worlds, I’m down for that, no problem. This could well be released as a single, it has that little pop hook that is easy to like and it’s something happy to enjoy.
The penultimate offering is entitled Live From Your Heart, it was one of my favourites from the album and had a little Whitesnake feel to its construction that I adored, the chorus delivered something special and one that contained another valuable message, Find that inner spark, Live from your heart, and I will add to that by saying “Face the light of day, and do it your way, it’s the only way”
We finish with what is described by Gospe as a lullaby for humanity, All Is Well, it just has to be the most beautiful compositions off the album, the tenderness in Gospe’s vocals were impressive, and the construction of this last arrangement even more so, a quite touching and emotive end to what has been a fantastic musical journey.
I came with an open mind to this party called Time To Soar, and I leave convinced I have heard one of the albums of the year, brilliantly performed, sung and played with sublime talent, wonderfully produced by the master Vito Gregoli and each and every song carefully created to manifest one of the most inspirational albums I have heard for some time, it also brings the listeners something even more special, hope; this is an album you must have at all costs.
Love joy peace in one place - Mary Gospe – "Time to Soar" - Reviewed by Dick Metcalf, Contemporary Fusion Reviews
January 3, 2020
“Back in the day” means different things to different generations, to be sure… unlike the millennials or gen-x’ers, we didn’t have stream services, or “clouds”… our choices were kind of limited to cassettes or 8-tracks, and when we chose what was going with us, we usually chose based on “best rock guitarist”, “coolest improv” or “best vocalist”… like that. We seldom had access to the music of love, joy and peace with all those elements on one album… Mary’s stunning vocals (in conjunction with instruments from one of our multi-instrumentalist musical heroes, Vito Gregoli), along with her razor-sharp lyrical skills make for an album that brings you “the best” all in one album! Before I critique the album, though, be sure to check out Mary in both playing and singing mode for the opening track, “We Are One“…
…since you’re there already, be sure to SUBSCRIBE to Mary’s YouTube channel, so you can check out all her performance videos.
After 30 years slaving away in the tech salt mines, Mary has launched her encore career as a singer and player… I’m more than impressed with her seamless lyrics (especially since my own musical endeavors all focused around spoken word and poetry)… on inspirational tunes like the high-energy “Free To Be Me“, you will (literally) hear her spirit entreating you to be who you are through her well-crafted lyrics and vocal; this is a song that I predict will be getting a LOT of airplay!
The splendid organ on “Unity“, along with Mary’s emotional vocal, make it a song that will bring back those “good old days” across all generations…. this is one of the most powerful performances you will ever hear… & DO it with your headphones ON (at least for your first sitting).
It was the closer, “All Is Well“, that got my vote for personal favorite of the dozen aural adventures Mary and Vito create for you… the song reaches right down into your soul and shows you that hope IS in your future!
I give Mary a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) score of a (perfect) 5.00… which means that she also gets a “PICK” from me for “best inspirational vocal work”. Get more information on Mary’s website. –Rotcod Zzaj
"Time to Soar" by Mary Gospe - Album Review by Dyan Garris for Zone Music Reporter and New Age CD
Album Review by Dyan Garris for Zone Music Reporter and New Age CD
January 14, 2020
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“This is the kind of music that seeps into your soul and stays there.” – Dyan Garris
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“Time to Soar” is the uplifting, inspirational, debut album from San Francisco Bay area based, singer/songwriter, Mary Gospe. This is 12 empowering vocal tracks and just over 53 minutes. Mary’s lyrics are well-crafted, positive, and are filled with spiritually infused messages created for individuals and for humanity.
The genre here is not traditionally New Age. It’s more New Folk/Folk Rock with a very effective crossover fusion into Classic Rock. Co-created with producer, multi-instrumentalist, and well-known guitarist, David Vito Gregoli, “Time to Soar” encourages us to trust, leave fear and worry behind, and move forward with our “authentic self” into laughter, joy, love, and freedom. This is the kind of music that seeps into your soul and stays there.
The album opens with the upbeat, hopeful, “We Are One.” Mary wrote this song after hearing Caroline Cory (creator of the OMnium Method™ of Learning and Healing), speak about the Syrian refugee crisis (2016 at that time), and about how old paradigms of “separation” are shifting into more of a “unity consciousness.” The song features Mary Gospe on lead & backing vocals, as well as Corrie Dunn on backing vocals. David Vito Gregoli, who also co-wrote 7 of the songs on “Time to Soar,” shines here on piano, 12 string acoustic guitar, synths, fretless bass, percussion, and drums. ”And the cry for unity has begun . . .”
Mary’s voice is beautiful, with a soothing, calming, and memorable quality that brings her powerful lyrics to life. So lovable from the very first note of the album and truly heartwarming through and through.
The song, “Walk Slowly,” was inspired by a poem written by Mary’s friend, Nidhi Kaur, who also co-wrote. The song inspires us to appreciate the love and beauty that surrounds us all the time on a daily basis, not just at the end of our time here.
In Celtic mythology, a crow is considered to be a divine oracle. The song, “The Black Crow Prophecy,” was inspired after Mary saw a crow while she was running in the woods. I love this song, which features Kimberly Haynes and Corrie Dunn on backing vocals, with Mary on lead vocals. Again, the incomparable David Vito Gregoli is brilliant on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synths, piano, fretless bass, percussion, and drums. Outstanding.
The title track, “Time to Soar,” is melodic and harmonic, and here we are invited to transcend old patterns that keep one stuck in the mud, and instead, pursue life’s dreams. Really good. “Your life can be so much more . . .”
We are responsible for creating our own life experience here. In the song “I Choose Love,” we are reminded that in any moment, no matter what’s transpiring around us, we can choose love. This is a very peaceful, comforting, soul-soothing song. “In this moment, I get to choose . . .So I send you my peace, I send you my joy. . . I send you all my love . . .and you too have a choice.” Yep. Beautiful.
Things kick up a notch with “Free To Be Me.” Here, the inspiration is to step freely into who you are and just be your authentic self. “I’m stepping into who I’m meant to be. . . My authentic self, no apologies.” Really great music, plus excellent vocal and lyrics.
“Pendulum” is a hypnotic, upbeat song about releasing fear and surrendering to love and trust. “This illusion of fear serves no one.” Here again we are treated to backing vocals by Kimberly Haynes (love her), and Corrie Dunn (and her), along with Mary on lead vocals. There is so much to love about Mary’s voice and lyrics. David Vito Gregoli is again brilliant on acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, electric guitars, strings, fretless bass, percussion, and drums.
What would a powerful album like this be without a song titled “Unity,” I wonder? It has to be here. Mary wrote this song as a tribute to women’s empowerment, but also to all of us. The message is to work together in oneness and harmony to create heaven on Earth. “Leading together, we’ll bring change . . .Unity, solidarity.”
“Ride The Wave” is a song that refers to the principle of the Law of Attraction. Stay positive and high vibrational no matter how things appear. “I’m gonna ride the wave of a higher frequency . . .I’m gonna rise above it to a higher vibration. . .” Again, the music and vocal are excellent. Truly enjoyable.
A song with a great rock beat, “Let’s Break Away,” is about being spontaneous and having some fun. Dedicated to Mary’s husband, Mike, this is a favorite.
Winding things down is the delightful, “Live From Your Heart.” This song is inspired by Caroline Cory’s “Creative Formula,” which teaches how to surrender and use intention, desire, belief to manifest what you desire in your life.” If you trust and if you believe . . .Relax and allow it to be.” The music and vocal are again, quite engaging. We can indeed, feel this music inside our heart, opening us to infinite possibilities. Love the piano here too.
The album closes out with the superb lullaby to humanity, “All Is Well.” Here we are reminded that we are loved beyond our comprehension, and that we are here for a reason, all with unique gifts to share. This is extraordinarily beautiful with a soothing vocal and Vito’s guitars, piano, strings, and synths lulling us further into peaceful tranquility. “Lay your head down, let me hold you . . .All is well.” And it is.
Get “Time to Soar” here: https://www.marygospe.com or wherever music is sold/streamed.
Booking: marygospemusic@gospe.com
Record label: Honey Spun Records
David Vito Gregoli: www.vitogregolimusic.com
Pop-Rock-Contemporary-New Age Review - Written by Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
Pop-Rock-Contemporary-New Age Review: Mary Gospe-Time To Soar
Genre: Pop-Rock-Contemporary-New Age
Release Date: November 15, 2019
Label: Independent
Website: www.marygospe.com
Usually, when I cover new age-related music it is all instrumental and at times some chants and vocalizations. Mary Gospe’s “Time to Soar” took me right out of that little comfort zone I have been in for so long. That is by no means a negative connotation, change means growth!
One look at the album cover and you see a woman who is shining brightly with positivity and light. The mantra for the project is meant for each listener to embrace their authentic self with love, trust, joy, and freedom (Listen to “Free To Be Me”). If you are already doing that then this will just validate that purpose one step further.
Time To Soar is the message, plain and simple. Mary has a very nice voice that blends well with the music presented. Although the music is not new age, the subject matter is 100%. The music you will hear is pop, rock, and adult contemporary. It was all co-created with producer/multi-instrumentalist, David Vito Gregoli.
“We Are One” is a powerful message to the universe. The message certainly reverberates with me and hopefully, it will with everyone that takes the time to listen to this beautiful combination of lyrical prose and musical excellence. I choose that that track to be represented on my New Age Music Reviews Spotfiy Playlist (I also included the entire album for streaming here as well).
A lot of acoustic guitar playing is very good like on “I Choose Love.” This kind of accompaniment is typical of what you will hear on this recording. It is quality vocals with quality musicianship consistently. If you think about it, it has to be strong. If you want to reach an audience with your message you need a good bed of music to let ride on, and that is exactly what happens. It works well for Mary’s voice and choice of lyrics.
Just like she sings on “Pendulum,” give in to trust, surrender to love. It is simple and straight forward. However, for some of us, that kind of idea can be a task rather than a smooth transition. And that is why people like Mary and Vito are here on the planet, to help us move in that direction a little easier.
“Unity” has more rock elements than all the previous tracks. It is restrained but impactful with some nice organ to complement the electric guitar. There are no rough edges or anything that makes it a flat-out rocker, it is tastefully done to enhance Mary’s vocals and the background vocals. The track “Ride The Wave” has a political and world situation bend to it but is done nicely and gently pushes you into a more positive state of mind. Mary sings-I’m not going to succumb, I’m going “Ride The Wave” of a higher frequency and I’m going to rise above it and rise to a higher vibration. What a great message, and finally a song with those elements without any anger or negativity. It was so refreshing!
This was out of the ordinary for me in the new age realm which made me more selective and tougher from a critical stance. Mary passed with flying colors. If you are ready or if you are not, it is the Time To Soar and “Ride The Wave” to a higher vibration!
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
January 20, 2020
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"Time to Soar" Review by BT Fasmer, New Age Music Guide
Mary Gospe – Time to Soar Review
By BT Fasmer – March 13, 2020
https://newagemusic.guide/reviews/mary-gospe-time-to-soar-review/
Don’t you love albums that refuse to be background music, albums that seem to pull you in and demand your undivided attention? The first time I listened to Mary Gospe’s “Time To Soar” I only knew that it was not a typical New Age music album, but more of a pop/crossover release produced by the amazing David Vito Gregoli. 53 minutes and 12 seconds later, I had not only become a Mary Gospe fan, but I had also learned more than I would from a stack of self-help books. “Time To Soar” is a genre-defying release, colorful and brimming with optimism, capable to shake up any New Age music playlist.
Mary Gospe is an inspirational singer/songwriter based in the San Francisco Bay Area. After 30 years in marketing for companies like Apple, Los Altos resident Mary knew there had to be “life after tech.” So she left the corporate world and embarked on an encore career as a singer-songwriter. In the summer of 2018, she met award-winning music producer David Vito Gregoli. They hit it off musically. Gregoli worked with Gospe on nine of the 12 songs on “Time to Soar.”
We Are One
The album opener is called “We Are One”. It doesn’t take long to establish that the delicate pop/rock arrangement and Mary’s beautiful voice are a perfect match. She wrote the piece in 2016 after hearing Caroline Cory speak about the Syrian refugee crisis, and about how the old paradigm of separation is moving toward a new paradigm of unity and oneness. I love the lyrics, and the melody is very catchy. It is, in short, a tremendous album opener and a quick introduction to Mary Gospe’s world of music.
Next out is “Walk Slowly”. Here’s a message we all, in our busy and hectic modern lives, should listen to. The song urges us to reduce stress and “Watch the seagulls as they dip and dive / Soaring across the deep blue sky”. In other words; it is time to soar. Apparently, you don’t need synth pads and gongs to illustrate the benefits of slowing down. Rock will do just fine.
“The Black Crow Prophecy
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The idea for this song came while I was running in the woods after seeing a crow, a divine oracle in Celtic mythology and asking it “what’s my life purpose?” says Gospe about “The Black Crow Prophecy”. I think the theme is fantastic; It is an extremely well-made pop/rock song. I also like the analoge synth in the theme, and the nice crow sample in the beginning and end. The song is food for thought; What mysteries can be solved by studying nature and ancient mythologies? I’m sure we’ll find plenty of answers.
The title track is an inspiring piece, telling us to break out of old patterns and do something exciting! Notice the complexity of the arrangement, especially near the end. It is impossible not to be impressed.
I Choose Love
The following part – the songs “I Choose Love”, “Free To Be Me” and “Pendulum” – are more about the self and self-esteem. If you pay attention to the lyrics, you’ll get more useful information here. I almost started taking notes!
Mary Gospe performing her original song “I Choose Love”:
The focus on community and solidarity is back with “Unity”. It could have been a late 1960s peace movement song, but it is just as relevant today. One of the most beautiful songs here is the Law of Attraction inspired “Ride The Wave”. Listening feels therapeutic and inspiring everyone not to succumb to negativity and reach that “higher vibration”. How wonderful!
Let’s Break Away
It is hard not to smile and nod in agreement listening to “Let’s Break Away”. To be spontaneous once in a while is the opposite of being irresponsible. Breaking the routine can be a healing experience, especially for couples. It is so easy to be trapped in the routine.
Another favorite of mine is “Live From Your Heart”. This incredible piano ballad is inspired by Caroline Cory’s Creative Formula, which tells us to use intention, desire, belief, and surrender to manifest what we desire. There’s a fresh electric guitar segment in the end, rounding off this inspired piece beautifully.
“All Is Well” is a lullaby to humanity. The gentle melody and hopeful lyrics offer instant comfort, and Mary’s soothing voice makes you hang on to each word, believing it all. The song goes straight to the heart – and stays there.
In conclusion: I must confess that I have never had high hopes for the New Age Pop/Rock sub-genre – but that has all changed with “Time To Soar” by Mary Gospe. Her music is like the missing link between the genres; Energetic and accessible like Pop/Rock, but with the deep emotional quality of New Age music. Gospe makes the listener reflect on many important and exciting topics. The production by David Vito Gregoli is spotless. It is, in short, an album you’ll want to hear again and again, whenever you need to soar.
Score: 95/100 – See our scoring policy
For more information and music samples, visit marygospe.com