R.J. Lannan

The fury and rage of unseen forces manifests itself in the first song, The Gale. Composer Timothy Wenzel’s blusterous music, a very bold theme indeed, imagines the crashing waves on a lake shore with waters every bit as angry as any ocean, a vast sky the color of pewter, and an unforgiving Arctic driven wind that knows no bounds. The Great Lakes are filled with the skeletons of iron ships that took chances and failed, their crews lost, their vessels demolished, and their memories written in poetry. Wenzel’s tune tells these tales in sharp, contrasting black notes on white paper with endless shades of passionate gray. Living near the shore of Lake Michigan has its influences.
Immerse, the title tune opens with a warm, acoustic guitar with a balance of some sincere piano riffs that act as an invitation to the listener. A welcoming violin joins in and the theme is like an open door to a sanctuary of sound. Please enter and no need to knock. Timothy’s refuge is a world of flowing sound that offers peace where none existed before. The allurement to sit back, close your eyes, and forget about the troubles of the day is subliminal, but it should not go unheeded.      
One of the songs that I continually revisit when listening is called Ice. It has an eerie Ludovico Einaudi vibe to it that I admire very much with its strong piano melody and its bold accompanying strings. Each year, from freezing cold waves in the fall to strange frozen shapes in winter, the lake ice creates a fascinating story. Timothy’s music chronicles the winter season as layer upon layer of ice covers all with a thick, impervious frosty coating casting all it touches into hoary frozen shapes that remain until spring. Wenzel’s icy theme is so cold it cannot be touched, only heard and admired as it sparkles like diamonds on a winter’s day. One of my favorites on Immerse. 
Like some mythical phoenix of stone and wood, one of the most notable creations of architect Frank Lloyd Wright is the thrice burned building called Taliesin. Situated in a sunny place in Wisconsin, it is a boxy structure steeped in tragedy and noted for housing a number of victims of a deranged mind. As the subject of Wenzel’s woeful tune Taliesin, it is a lamentation over the tragedy. Sad English horn and dolorous violin sing along with poignant piano over the terrible loss.
Timothy becomes the balladeer on the next two cuts River, Hills, and Sky and A Man on the Run. River, Hills, and Sky is a great example of what has become known as Americana. A little folksy, a little homespun with elements of new world Appalachia woven in the fabric. Predominately piano and guitar, A Man on the Run incongruously shows a distinct lack of urgency. The tune does have serious movement and a sense of relentlessness, but with a destination unknown.   
There is Celtic fare within the tune Nightfall at Avebury. A lofty stone edifice in the middle of an English field has sparked the imagination of millions over centuries. Wenzel’s alluring mythical tune suggesting starry nights and clandestine celebrations is just what the spirit needs. His combination of faraway voices, earnest piano, and enchanted violin will make you believe that Merlin, out of stones and magic, really did build this towering tribute to King Arthur.
With the help of a kind brass horn and gentle guitar, a bright piano melody blends together in the final tune Thank You For Your Smile It seems that Mr. Wenzel managed to include just about all of the players on the last cut so I list them all now. Jill Haley on English horn, Electric guitar by David Cullen and violin by Jose Quick. Cello is by Graham Cullen, acoustic guitar by Tom Carleno, percussion by Jeff Haynes, and of course, all piano and synth by Timothy Wenzel.
What composer Timothy Wenzel manages to do, within a dozen cohesive contemporary/New Age instrumentals is create an album of inspiring music that allows you to take the definitive sound bath. Every note, every vibration, every wave of sound will touch, tingle, and ultimately cleanse your weary spirit of the layers of anger, exhaustion, and despair precipitated by a modern world. In other words, Immerse will refresh your soul. Very highly listenable.
- R J Lannan, ArtisanMusicReviews.com