Track Listing

1. It's The Past
2. The Last Days
3. Spidanielmomamofessis
4. Reaching Point
5. The Angels Whisper
6. The Calling
7. The Curious Mind
8. This Time Round
9. One Candle
10. Black Forest Green
11. Tasting Dreams

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #557556 in Music
• Released on: 2001-03-28
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
29-year-old Henoch Townley was born in the Inuit settlement of St. Anthony, Newfoundland. He experienced a difficult childhood that led him to escape and fine solace in the magical world of music. He discovered a natural talent for musical instruments and quickly learned to play both the piano and guitar. His passion for music led him to leave his native village and explore opportunities in Quebec City. He finally realized his long held dream of recording his music in an Inuit village in northern Quebec. There he finished his first album with Inukshuk Records. His music is powerful,yet peaceful. His positive melodies bring people together and send an uplifting message of hope that connects spiritually with nature. Henoch combines modern sounds and instruments with traditional culture and influences, caressed by the northern Canadian lights. Welcome one and all ? Henoch is ready to be heard!

About the Artist
Seperated from my parents due to a coeliac disease, I've been through two orphanages and ten different families. It was not easy for me and for years, I've questioned why I've been through what I've been through, physical, mental, sexual and emotional abuse. Today, I believe everything was meant to be. In my early teens, in one of the families I was living with at the time, they had a piano,.. at that time I was occupied with gymnastics, hockey, down-hill skiing, scouts and art. I asked the parents if I could take piano lessons and they said no because they thought that I was too occupied. Since that day, I've been hooked to the piano and learnt to play by ear (when no one was around). When I was nineteen, I travelled to Quebec City out of curiousity. Due to personal life's problems I got hooked with drugs and alcohol. During those four years in Quebec City, I found the guitar and seemed to pick it up quite easily. I had found a reason to live and it's kept me alive! to this day. I sought help for my alcohol and drug problems, dealt with the past, the pain and I seemed to have transformed into a positive, motivated musician. I had a dream that there were thousands upon thousands of people infront of me, while I was on stage and I haven't let go of that dream since. In my music, I've been told that "I've got something to say" and I believe I do. Through all the hardships,... I have taken life and turned it around into a positive one. Still, today there are people going through what I've been through and I'd like to send a message of hope, not to give up on themselves, to connect spiritually and to bring people together. I believe what I have to offer is powerful, uplifting, peaceful and most of all, positive. I love singing about nature as much as I love it. I believe today, that this is my purpose in life and why I was brought on this earth.

Customer Reviews

'Rising from the darkness'.... healing poetry
All the songs have vocals, and the instruments listed for all songs are: drums, accoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and sometimes bass.

You hear the unaffected, (com)passionate voice and feel like meeting the person behind it. It seems to be talking to you, intimately.
Some lyrics are truly poetic, yet again in an unaffected and natural tone, with the vocals flowing in great attunement with the wonderful music.

I listed the instrumentation above because it leaves you guessing sometimes: it has fresh, mysterious sounds you don't all recognize: " what are the instruments here? Are these classical, or subtle keyboards/synth's?... ".
The result is at times evocative of nature, without falling into some gross new age arrangements. Quite something its own I would say ( and God knows I've been listening to tons of contemporary music, including new age, native, rock, folk, electronic of all sorts, you name it).

As well as the intruments being slightly mysterious, there's an eerie feel to many passages.

Now quoting from Virginia MacIsaac (on rambles.net): "(...) as nontraditional as it is, the music is definitely of northern flavour. Much in the words and music expresses the northern experience. I was not sure what to expect so this was a pleasant surprise.
The lyrics are enchanting, the drum beats mesmerizing, and I enjoy the timbre of Townley's provocative voice. Slow pacing makes the CD intoxicating at times, and never boring. The music cruises underneath Townley's lyrics and his voice prolongs the experience while taking you on a musical odyssey".
"(...) this young artist's strength is in his poetic lyrics and his powerful, luxurious voice that knocks you off your perch even as it caresses you. (...) the energy and flair of the musicians ".

Try it, you'll find something or other there for you - I can't imagine anyone hating the whole cd. JUST GET IT! With shipping to Europe from Canada this is the most expensive cd I've ever bought - I normally buy all my cd's seconhand and cheap - but I had an intuition I had to have this one, and months after buying it I know it's a cheap price for a cd to keep for the rest of my life.

Hear the angels in your life whisper, or sing...
Although varied enough, there's no bad song in this cd and you can let it just run its course, as it comes. Little by little it seems to form a consistent whole.

This cd feels rich, there's a lot there.
I ordered it at first for a breeze of northern wind, a glimpse of remote artic icelands to dream on, with a native voice and music that would include contemporary elements. On that first, superficial level, well I don't know of another cd bringing more of this, even though Henoch could have played this up much more. Try flipping through a 'Pole to pole' artic travel brochure while listening to it ( I once found myself doing both totally by coincidence - an experience of beauty).

Then; what I had not expected so much was the spiritual dimension of it, and the strength and humanity in the lyrics. I'm not usually interested in songs'lyrics, but these may well be some of the best I've heard. They sound like a spiritually-grown person has really put his heart into them.

All songs ring true but No1 particularly seems to draw from a long journey Henoch's been on, and has a special intensity, poignancy, urgency even, and finally towards the end, a triumphant vibrancy. It all feels very real: even for those like me who haven't a sad past to let go of, and despite the joyful positiveness all through it, this song has a potential of sending shivers, somehow an 'in-contrast' realization of what an awful and steep slope Henoch has had to climb all his life to be here now ( singing 'serenely' about the fruit of his awful trials in eagerness to help others). Shivers, and a deep emotion, which sometimes is a deep sadness. What I feel is, Henoch is sincerely trying to reach out to help others.

Clearly, he has grown to develop compassion and strength in response to a past of suffering and abuse, instead of hateful bitterness and shrinking. I hope this music gets known and reaches (among others) those who are in need of it.
I hope this cd soon becomes listed on many more sites, and international branches of Amazon. The more this cd goes round, the better for the world.

Fresh... Pure... Beautiful....
Keywords, keylines:
Emotion. Touching, unique voice. Soulful, intense, vibrant although serene; sense of connection, of moral and mental energy, integrity and courage; openness and naturalness.
strong melodic music that envelops and lifts you as on a wave, consistent rythms; true talent, no commercialism, no cheap effects. Mature & well-mastered/well-harmonized whole, yet with something spontaneous and fresh still left intact.
Complex. Escapes definitions (not rock but elements of ; likewise, not new age, not typically Indian, ...): you'll just have to get it and see for yourself!