David Arkenstone is one of those guys you'd just love to hate. Arkenstone, notYanni, should be new age's favorite whipping boy. He's got that big, poofy hair; he deigns to call himself a storyteller, not "just" a musician; he infuses Native American music with new age synth stylings; and Spirit Wind even comes packaged with incense! 　　Only problem is, likeYanni, Arkenstone delivers the goods. He plays keyboards, guitar, even flute on this disc. He's audacious, but he can be subtle too. The opening track, "The Ancient Road," moves from Native American sounds to a hip-hop beat so skillfully you hardly even notice the transition. 　　IfYanniis the genre's answer tothe Moody Blues, Arkenstone might be thought of as new age's version ofPeter Gabriel. His blending of various exotic beats with both organic and synthetic sounds is quite comparable, and likeGabriel, he comes off as a sincere innovator rather than a mystic dilettante. 　　Even at his worst, Arkenstone is interesting. At his best, as on this disc, he is compelling.