Mythos is the duo of pianist Bob D’Eith and guitarist Paul Schmidt. Active in the New Age scene from the late 90s to the early 2000s, the two took a six-year break to pursue other careers. Now they’ve returned with Journey, ready to reintroduce listeners to their stories. The disc actually runs a bit too light in spots for my personal tastes, but many tracks still manage to catch my ear, and it’s definitely going to resonate with New Age listeners. The musicianship, for one, is excellent; just listen to Schmidt’s rich classical guitar style on the brief and beautiful “Nocturnal” or D’Eith’s romantic neoclassical piano on “Inner Peace.” Although that track is lightly flavored with string pads beneath, it is, in sensation, a lovely piano solo. Elsewhere, one hears touches of a world-music influence. It comes through in the Spanish guitar flourishes at the start of the title track, which  put me in mind of Acoustic Alchemy. Here again D’Eith’s piano becomes the focal point, paired with vocal pads and synth swirls for a piece that’s energetic, yet with a calming underflow. “Novaya Zemlya” has what I can only describe as a Baltic lilt, a balalaika-type instrument plucking out a melody in tribute to (yes, I Googled it) an island in the Russian arctic. It’s snappy, reminiscent of gypsy music, and catchy.

The music on Journey is something I’ve enjoyed more in a larger mix than as a straight-through listen, but that’s only due to my own predilections. It’s well-made music, nicely constructed and effectively layered with a narrative sense. Each piece is its own full story. As I said, if your tastes run to romantic, genre-right New Age, I think this Journey is one you need to take.

Available from Adagio Music.