What does it mean to be a nomad?  A wanderer, a wayfarer; one who has no permanent home. This could be seen as both blessing and bane. In the newly birthed CD by singer songwriter and instrumentalist Ed Creamer, called Becoming Nomad, it seems as if it is the former. The runes on the cover spell out the word Nomad and the labyrinth design beckons the listener to enter and move through their own Hero’s Journey, since this structure and meditative tool offers both a way in and out, one step at a time.

It brings to mind the J.R.R. Tolkien quote, “Not all who wander are lost.”

In the opening track Becoming Nomad, Creamer goes within to observe his thoughts and allows for guidance to arise as he embraces the experience of love and loss. “The journey is the gift of love I find. As I wander, I never feel I’ve lost my way. Becoming Nomad is my destiny. The symbol of my life is my labyrinth, it’s the key. It’s the choice to reach the center. The gateway to my peace.”  Guitar and hand clapping rhythm accompany the poignant words.

A Secret Sky ponders what awaits beyond this incarnation.  “At the end of my days, with no strength left, I’ve given all I can give. Just before my last breath, you will comfort me, with precious treasures”.  This selection evokes a sense of soaring and a reassurance that “Love is the bridge for us,” between where our feet our planted at the moment and where we may be going when we ‘leave the building’.

The roaring guitar riff in Rubble has a darker side that accompany the lyrics wailing, “Break down your barriers,” which stand in the way in of recognizing true identity and dancing on the detritus left behind, “even if you dance alone.”

It’s Okay carries a reggae feel with steel drum sound opening the song. Creamers’ signature line, “Stay loving,” is a highlight of this upbeat, dance-able piece. I found it hard to sit still while listening; although it is challenging to type and dance at the same time. The lyrics: “Remember always, it’s okay. All love all the time, it’s okay,” would do Bob Marley proud.

Echoing chanting opens the song Seagull as a  dark dialog occurs between man and bird.  “Seagull, you fly across the horizon into the misty morning sun. No once asked you where you were going. Nobody knows where you’re from. You fly all around, until somebody shoots you down.”

Amazonian rain stick and percussion pulls the listener into By The Fire  “Sparks fly from their eyes. Rising passion sizzling,” are the words growled seductively to a samba beat. Hip swaying, eyes closed, being carried along willingly in this positively incendiary song.

Power of tears reminds the listener, “My tears are not a weakness. My tears are a cleansing. My tears reflect your love. Sacred power. A healing.”  Tears are the unspoken words of a narrative that express what can’t otherwise be shared. Creamer sings of a painful leave- taking that allowed them to flow. “It’s the sacred power of tears,” that is  the healing we experience as result.

Fingers caressing piano keys in  Light carry the words “Light the only real creation, light discovers ancient mysteries….the source without ceasing,” is the sweet beauty of this transcendent selection.

The final cut that ushers the listener out of the co-creation with the Divine, is called I rest in God.  It begins with “We ask for peace today and still this is the midst of turmoil.”  and ends with the idea that when releasing the illusion of control over life and ‘sinking into stillness’ as well as ‘resting in the peace of God,’ it is possible to rise above fear and limitation. The crescendo of life.

The quality of Creamer’s voice calls to mind a combination of two of my favorite songsters: Van Morrison and Randy Newman.

Each of these songs bring with them a sense of certainty within the ‘just don’t know’ of life that all is for the highest good. Without knowing the artist, it is not difficult to imagine that this is an ode to major life transition for him. A personal and professional triumph.