Album Review—The Wishing Well
A Journey Through Sound and Intention: A Review of ‘The Wishing Well’ by 2002
Music often becomes the language of longing, the shape of memory, the echo of hope cast gently into the unseen. The Wishing Well, the twenty-third album by the acclaimed New Age ensemble 2002, invites listeners to step into exactly such a place. It is an album shaped by stories from ancient cultures, personal histories, and the quiet power of human intention. Every track feels like a polished stone dropped into still water, sending ripples outward into a vast inner landscape. With their signature blend of ethereal harmonies, celestial instrumentation, and cinematic serenity, 2002 transforms the act of listening into an experience of reflection, wonder, and gentle illumination. Long time listeners will recognize the familiar glow of their sound, while newcomers will feel as though they have discovered a shimmering doorway into a world of beauty.
The Legacy and Evolution of 2002
Formed by multi-instrumentalists Pamela and Randy Copus, and later joined by their daughter Sarah, the band 2002 has spent more than three decades refining a style that has become unmistakable. Their music lives at the meeting point of New Age, ambient, classical, and light progressive rock influences, a synthesis held together by their devotion to melody and emotional resonance. Over their thirty-four year journey, they have placed twelve albums on the Billboard charts, earned a place among the top New Age artists alongside icons such as Yanni and Enya, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from One World Music Radio. Their sound has been sculpted by explorations through musical traditions, the evolution of technology including Dolby Atmos spatial audio, and a lifelong dedication to creative expansion. Pamela’s flute, Randy’s keyboards and guitar, and Sarah’s harp and vocals create a soundscape that is lush without excess, intricate without overwhelm, and timeless in its emotional clarity.
A Sound Shaped by Story and Spirit
What sets The Wishing Well apart is the intimate inspiration behind it. The band draws from stories of other lands, from personal spiritual journeys, and from the mythology and symbolism that have shaped human cultures. Their music has always been a vessel for narrative and emotion, but here it feels especially purposeful. These compositions were shaped by memories of starlit deserts, by pages of beloved books, by the myths of Turtle Island, by glimpses of angels, and by the profound moments that define the Copus family’s musical life. The production is warm and cinematic, woven with harp, flute, guitar, keyboards, angelic vocals, and the luminous clarity of Dolby Atmos mastering. The album resonates with the immersive glow that 2002 is cherished for, while carrying a renewed sense of depth, intention, and narrative cohesion.
Track-by-Track Analysis
1. Overture: The Restless Heart
The album opens with a track that feels like a doorway into the history of the band itself. The overture is quintessential 2002, a reflection on their earliest days and the sweeping journey that followed. Guest violinist Keyreel Raskolenko adds a soaring elegance that elevates the track into something both nostalgic and forward-looking. The piece feels like a reunion with the earliest spark of their artistry, a reminder that music was once a vast universe waiting to be explored and remains so even now.
2. Three Wishes
With Three Wishes the album steps into the realm of myth. Inspired by the stories of jinn and the motif of the three-wish dilemma, the track carries a sense of enchantment and subtle drama. The melodies rise and fall with a narrative arc, as though unfolding the tale of a seeker navigating the unexpected consequences of desire. The atmosphere shimmers with mystique, making the track both playful and emotionally stirring.
3. Twilight
Twilight is filled with the warm glow of childhood memory. The music evokes barefoot evenings in the countryside, lightning bugs in the tall grass, and the tender wonder of filling jars with blinking lights before setting them free again. The track captures a combination of innocence and golden nostalgia, transporting the listener to a world where summer nights stretched endlessly and the simplest moments felt magical.
4. The Spiral of Heaven
A journey deep into the desert becomes the inspiration for one of the album’s most expansive compositions. The Spiral of Heaven recalls an 800-mile pilgrimage to Chaco Canyon, where the Copus family once recorded Pamela’s flute beneath a sunrise blazing across ancient stone. The track carries the vibration of that sacred landscape: the cosmic hush of the Milky Way above, the echo of cliffs, the subtle music of crickets and distant coyotes. It feels like music shaped by the earth itself, filled with reverence for the ancient ones who once walked the land.
5. Dream Chasers
Happy, complex, and overflowing with musical interplay, Dream Chasers pays homage to one of the band’s earliest compositional styles. Piano, flute, guitar, and vocal textures weave around one another with cheerful energy. The melodies chase each other in bright arcs, giving the impression of joyful movement and creative spark. It is a celebration of possibility, and its optimism is infectious.
6. Moon Lore
Moon Lore steps into the symbolism of Turtle Island and the lunar cycles encoded in the turtle’s shell. The track feels like a gentle unfolding of ancient knowledge, with the music flowing in cycles reminiscent of moon phases. There is a quiet depth here that speaks to the interconnectedness of stories, seasons, and the rhythms that guide human life.
7. A Safe Harbor
Inspired by the well-known lines about ships and their purpose, A Safe Harbor carries a contemplative calm. The music is tender, steady, and reassuring, reminding listeners that although the world may feel uncertain, there are places in life where we can anchor ourselves. The track is a breath of peace, a moment of still water in the journey.
8. On the Wings of Angels
Drawing from ancient mythologies spanning Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the broader spiritual traditions of the world, this track offers a sense of uplift. The music feels expansive, luminous, and protective, as though carried by unseen wings. It honors the universal longing for guidance and connection with the divine.
9. Bellehaven
Bellehaven returns to the place where it all began for the band. The music is filled with affection, gratitude, and the spark of creative beginnings. One can almost imagine the early days in their converted garage-studio, surrounded by possibilities, unaware of how many lives their music would touch. The track feels like a homecoming.
10. Savitri’s Dream
The album closes with a piece shaped by one of the most meaningful inspirations in the Copus family’s artistic life: Sri Aurobindo’s poetic work Savitri. The music holds the tenderness of a shared love story and the reverence for a book that once connected Pamela and Randy across miles. It is both a remembrance and a renewal, echoing the album they would later compose based on that beloved text. The track ends the journey with grace, wonder, and quiet beauty.
Take Away
The Wishing Well stands not only as a milestone in the long creative journey of 2002, but also as an invitation to the listener. It invites us to reflect, to breathe more deeply, to remember the stories that shape us, and to dream with intention. With its lush orchestrations, emotive melodies, and gentle wisdom, the album feels timeless. It is music for meditation, for healing, for quiet evenings, for moments of introspection, and for the peaceful spaces we create for ourselves. This is an album that deserves to be experienced with full attention. It is a work of love and legacy, composed by artists whose lives have been intertwined with music for decades. For anyone seeking beauty, serenity, or a sense of renewal, The Wishing Well is a wholehearted recommendation. It is a reminder that every wish cast into still water carries a ripple of hope into the world.