I only came across Lubomyr Melnyk at some point in 2015, when he released the masterly Rivers and Streams. The music felt fresh, intoxicating. I did not care what piano-playing records he held (something to do with Melnyk's extraordinary pace), but I absolutely loved the gutsy minimalism of such extended pieces as "Parasol" and "The Amazon".
His playing is not especially subtle (though his melodies often are) but pounding and assertive. With Fallen Trees, his latest album, I expected to be swept away by the seamless torrents of notes I came to love on his earlier records (his back catalogue is well worth exploring). I was not disappointed.
Even if there was some slight surprise during the opening "Requiem for a Fallen Tree" that features atmospheric female singing that wouldn't have been out of place in a Henryk Goretski symphony. Melnyk's piano, though, is unmistakable. The singing would return later on, for the final suite, but mostly it's that piano that achieves otherworldly beauty on "Barcarolle" (I challenge you to name a 2018 melody as perfect as that) and equally otherworldly speed on "Fallen Trees, Pt. II: Existence".
This is charismatic playing, you won't confuse Melnyk's technique with anyone else's. Fallen Trees (I haven't mentioned the concept but that's merely because the music stands so tall on its own) is a great addition to his highly consistent body of work. A top 10 album of the year for me, easily.
