Deena Chappell - Voices of the Archetypes [CD]

Who knows what lurks beneath the surface of our consciousness? Deena Chappell set out on a journey to find out. Creating a framework built on the philosophies of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and famous mythologist, Joseph Campbell, Chappell created a delightful, insightful, and very listenable album of nine songs that track her progression through the quintessential search to meet and greet the Archetypes of the unconscious. What are Archetypes? Well, that's a question that can be answered in many different ways depending on who is doing the answering. Here's one way of describing them. The Archetypes are images and experiences that we collectively share, although we more often then not undergo our encounters with them as individuals. An easily recognizable and understood Archetype is the Trickster. Trickster is ancient and exists in all cultures. A shape-shifter, Trickster can appear as a clown or a jester. In Native American traditions, he sometimes appears as a coyote or a raven. As do all archetypes, the Trickster serves a function. He shows up when we have taken ourselves too seriously. She appears when we are so distracted by our own drama that we've lost sight of the fact that life is but really a cosmic joke. A popular incarnation of the Trickster in American culture is Bugs Bunny. In her genre-hopping album, 'Voices Of The Archetypes' Chappell dances, cries and laughs her way down an enchanted path toward individuation. Brilliantly produced by Eric Geoffrey Belcher, this album pops with tasty audio bites that bring the story to life. The sequence of the enchanted tracks maps the journey. The story begins with a realization of the cost of living an inauthentic life for a false sense of security. Corporate marks a moment in time when a life-altering decision to jump off of the proverbial cliff is made. Big Green Bus speaks to the beginning of a wonderful, psychedelic-like journey to a new home. Song for Child, a piano based ballad, honors the child within and without. Cruel Mistake is a gospel-toned confrontation to blame and sorrow. Shadow Thing emerges in a pissed-off frenzy of screaming Sabbath guitars and Chappell spills dark, tortured sexually charged lyrics; parental guidance suggested. Shadow Aphrodite is a twisted little swing number that coaxes the ghost of the infamous man-eater. The Only Time is Now is a lush, ethereal homage to the divine voice that reminds us of our own divinity and keeps us on our path. The Trickster is a snappy, danceable tune with clever lyrics and a killer fiddle track. The album is summed up beautifully with an acoustic fairy-tale; Pandora. Because there are so many different styles of music on this album, it would be difficult to categorize it. As if right out of the Red Book, in a class by itself, 'Voices Of The Archetypes' is one of those pieces of true, honest art that comes along only once in a while.