I’ve only had Lindsey Stirling’s latest album Shatter Me for a couple weeks, but – wow! This is one of the coolest and most playful CDs I’ve listened to in a while. The amount of ground that this violin / dance music marvel (and former “America’s Got Talent” contestant) covers is astonishing: turbo-charged dueling with guitars and synths (“Roundtable Rival”), mournful dubstep (“Ascendance”), evading a laser beam alarm system (“Heist”), a dance of joy from the heart and soul (“Master of Tides”), and two vocal collaborations, including the impassioned title track featuring Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. One song I keep coming back to on the mostly uptempo set is the breathtaking “Beyond The Veil.” It’s not a typical ballad, since it shifts back and forth between slow and fast, but my gosh is it gorgeous! The blending of synths, programming, and classical elements injects an evocative, oceanic quality. Slower sections shimmer like the water’s surface above, while waves thrash from the brewing storm as the music intensifies. Then there’s Lindsey’s instrumental prowess. She lets her violin skirt the waves and dive deep to swim with dolphins and mermaids. Her talent rounds out this hypnotic track with the spirit and whimsicality that’s impossible for vocals to imitate.

And judging from Lindsey’s video for “Beyond The Veil,” I’m not the only one who imagines water when I hear this song. 😀  What do you think?