2002 - The Emerald Way (2006)

A serene, gently atmospheric, and cohesive package, The Emerald Way may be, end to end, the most satisfying of the eight recordings released so far by the husband-and-wife team of Pamela and Randy Copus, known as 2002. The pair specialize in creating pillow-soft, melodic dreamscapes that could be fairly termed Enya-lite. What gives The Emerald Way its particular appeal is the duo's willingness to probe a little deeper into the cosmos, giving this disc a boost over This Moment Now, 2002's previous release, which at times is too dainty for its own good. Stardusted selections here such as "Soul Doors," "Timeless," and the title track exhibit yearning, searching qualities that seem capable of elevating the spirit as well as soothing it, which seems to be the duo's usual aspiration. This is not serious space music, of course. Rather, it is a gentle-on-the-ear mix of keyboards, guitar, strings, flute, pennywhistle, and female voicings intended to evoke a heart-lifting state of calm--soundtrack-like music suited for relaxed moments when you're mentally rolling the closing credits on a benign daydream. --Terry Wood