The Telling - Blue Solitaire (1990)

The Telling are a husband and wife duo from Los Angeles who explore the no-man's-land where light rock meets new age music. Centered around the beautiful voice of Sheri Swanson, the Telling play gentle electro-pop songs full of dreamy imagery, with lyrics that deal with love, loneliness, hope, and spiritual growth. The all-digital production is silky smooth, painted in pastels, with unobtrusive instrumentation providing the background for Sheri's mesmerizing vocals, her voice tinged with the yearning where beauty meets sorrow. Don Swanson's synthesizer chords create a subtle trance-like undercurrent, with acoustic guitar, trumpet, oboe, French horn, cello and percussion providing additional texture. A couple of atmospheric instrumentals are included, and superstar pianist George Winston makes a rare guest appearance on the final track. In some ways Blue Solitaire is so smooth it can glide right by you, but, if you linger long enough to savor its flavor, its fresh modern sound and haunting imagery will seduce you into its evocative world.