Ryo Kawasaki

Cosmic Rhythm finds fusion guitarist Ryo Kawasaki collaborating with newcomer Clare Foster, who sings on most of the tracks; the lyrics have a touch of new age mysticism and gentleness, mostly philosophical platitudes concerning topics like "Understanding" and "Kindness." Kawasaki's guitar playing is smooth, tasteful and polished, although one wishes that the musical backgrounds didn't sound quite so smooth and polished themselves -- they verge on mechanical sterility. The record achieves most of what it sets out to do, even if the remake of Soul II Soul's "Keep on Movin'" utterly fails to duplicate the slinky groove of the original. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide