“FROZEN STAR” by Jacqueline Cordes

Jacqueline Cordes’ Frozen Star, released on August 8, is a luminous journey through the Chromaverse—a twelve-track neoclassical odyssey that merges cinematic elegance, gothic textures, and the vivid palette of her synesthetic imagination. At just 22, Cordes continues to expand the boundaries of music, creating immersive worlds where each track exists as a portal to a distinct emotional and visual landscape. Opening with the single Illusions of Amethyst, the album immediately sets a tone of enigmatic beauty. The minor-key waltz sways like a haunting vision of violet, flowing in melodies reminiscent of Stephen Flaherty’s Once Upon a December and Schubert’s Gretchen am Spinnrade. The accompanying music video introduces “The Puppetmaker,” a masked artisan working in an abandoned world, reflecting the meticulous care and narrative depth woven throughout the album.

From there, Verdant Heart emerges as a slow, melodic meditation on introspection. Its somber yet deeply emotional tones invite listeners to sit with feelings that are often overlooked, offering a rare space for reflection. Transience shifts the energy, beginning quietly before building into a dynamic cascade of synths and layered instrumentation. The track evolves with purpose, allowing heavy emotions to release and giving the listener a sense of cathartic forward motion. Entering the Dreamscape is a tender, three-minute interlude of soft, lilting keys. Its simplicity encourages pause, letting the mind wander and marinate in the lingering emotional resonance of the preceding tracks. In contrast, Dance of the Dead demonstrates Cordes’s versatility, expanding beyond minimalist textures to craft complex, rhythmically precise passages where each key and motif lands with deliberate intensity.

Father and Daughter – End Credits distills her mastery into a concise, one-and-a-half-minute piano piece. Universal and approachable, it evokes warmth and connection, showing that Cordes can move effortlessly between grandeur and intimacy. The album closes with Reflections of Solitude, a track of ethereal beauty that draws listeners inward. Its rhythmic string quartet cadence and immersive soundscape make for an introspective finale that feels both natural and transcendent. Across Frozen Star, Jacqueline Cordes reveals a raw, imaginative side of her artistry, crafting a work that is both cinematic and deeply personal. The album is an invitation to traverse emotional landscapes, to see sound as color, and to experience music as a living, breathing entity. With its twelve evocative tracks, Frozen Star is a record that demands attention, offering a listening experience that will linger long after the final note fades. It is a collection designed to be revisited, a sonic world to return to again and again.