The Emerald Way
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The Emerald Way
The Emerald Way, 2002's ninth release to date, continues Pamela and Randy Copus' tradition of sublime and blissful musical journeys. Blending electronic instruments with voice, flute, guitar, and piano, the soundscape is ethereal, spacious, and oh so relaxing. This is music to fall into and let it take you to a place of peace and beauty.
The Emerald Way
As 2002, Pamela and Randy Copus have carved a niche in the healing music sub-genre with their swelling synthesizer dreamscapes. If The Emerald Way proves anything, it’s that they haven’t lost their touch. The music overflows with heavenly melodies and majestic crescendos that are as light as cotton candy and equally sweet. If possible, this album actually feels more fluid than past works, with great use of piano, guitar and flute to build an uplifting mood. The compositions were inspired by the writings and verse of Hindu mystic Sri Aurobindo, specifically the theme of following your heart and choosing your own roads. 2002 fans will find a lot of familiar ground here, as the music parallels the group’s best material.
The Emerald Way
A serene, gently atmospheric, and cohesive package, The Emerald Way may be, end to end, the most satisfying of the eight recordings released so far by the husband-and-wife team of Pamela and Randy Copus, known as 2002. The pair specialize in creating pillow-soft, melodic dreamscapes that could be fairly termed Enya-lite. What gives The Emerald Way its particular appeal is the duo's willingness to probe a little deeper into the cosmos, giving this disc a boost over This Moment Now, 2002's previous release, which at times is too dainty for its own good. Stardusted selections here such as "Soul Doors", "Timeless", and the title track exhibit yearning, searching qualities that seem capable of elevating the spirit as well as soothing it, which seems to be the duo's usual aspiration. This is not serious space music, of course. Rather, it is a gentle-on-the-ear mix of keyboards, guitar, strings, flute, pennywhistle, and female voicings intended to evoke a heart-lifting state of calm--soundtrack-like music suited for relaxed moments when you're mentally rolling the closing credits on a benign daydream.
The Emerald Way
This ethereal and relaxing soundscape is inspired by Savitri, a tale by Hindu mystic, Sri Aurobinda. It is about choosing to follow the path of the heart and refers to the moment in life when a pivotal choice must be made – to choose the way that is customary and expected, or to head down the overgrown path leading to the unknown. Soulful flutes, silky guitar and piano tell the story, accompanied by lush strings, harp and chimes blending into a signature sound, renowned for comfort and relaxation.
The Emerald Way
Spanning a career that dates back to 1992, Pamela and Randy Copus, aka 2002, need little introduction to the genre’s fans. Much like another icon, Enya, 2002 have their fans who appreciate the care, quality, and attention to detail which each successive CD displays. Melding acoustic instruments (piano, flute, guitar) with lush layers of vocals and keyboards, the pair have found their “formula” and through the years have continued to fine-tune it, tweaking here and there just enough to make recordings distinguishable from one another The Emerald Way is a warm soothing "embrace" of music which asks little of the listener yet rewards the non-cynic with many moments of beauty and grace. Provided that flowing romantic melodies, multi-tracked choral vocals, and a quasi-Spectorish "wall of sound" production are your cup of chamomile, you’ll enjoy this CD. Understand that The Emerald Way makes no apologies for its unabashed positivity or its heart-on-the-sleeve evocations of the "good" side of humanity. "Inner Light", the album opener, showcases the artists' adroit way of layering piano with synth strings, gradually folding in soft flute, twinkling synths, acoustic guitar and multi-tracked chorals. Look up the word "angelic" in a new age dictionary and you’d probably see a reference to this song. 

Unlike their most obvious compatriot, Enya, 2002's music is subtly diverse. "Another Answer Came" has a more dramatic sense of "oomph" with nods to neo-orchestral music. The title track carries a hint of both Ireland (lovely lilting whistle) crossed with Asia (owing to the presence of lightly struck bells) and this juxtaposition results in a lovely song which gradually evolves into a track which could have come from the soundtrack to Local Hero (Mark Knopfler’s superb music), thanks to some semi-lively acoustic guitar. "Timeless" at only 3:21, while sounding awfully close to typical Enya, wins the listener over with its unforced pace and perfect mixture of synths, piano, and vocals. Critics of new age music often overlook the obvious sincerity of the artists who, through the years, have released many high quality recordings. Pamela and Randy Copus should have nothing left to prove. It’s clear they mean what they "say". Ya know, sometimes, the world can use a little sweetness and light to ward off the dark and dreary. If you feel as I do, than The Emerald Way will transport you, at least for awhile, to a land of calm and beauty.

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