by Dordan
Narada Productions
[414] 961-8350
There's an unfortunate trend of putting the word "Celtic" in front of things these days (except perhaps an NBA title) and expecting that it'll generate a lot of sales specifically on that account. I'm going to start releasing albums called Celtic Misery, Celtic Treachery, and Celtic Inebriation, and see if I can make a few bucks.
Anyway, at least you know what you're getting, and Narada's Celtic Aire lives up to its word. It's Celtic, and "Aire-y." This is all performed by a group called Dordan, four Irish women: Mary Bergin, Dearbhail Standun, Kathleen Loughnane, and Martina Goggin.
I've been listening to Celtic music for a few years now, and I'd say they fall in one of the bigger traps - taking a song that runs for about 45 seconds and turning it into four minutes. On some tracks, you long for them to change the orchestration, or even touch up the final mix.
Still, on the whole, it's a solid album, acoustic, traditional, with music composed either by the members of the gang itself or arranged from old traditional melodies. It doesn't take risks, and there aren't any bagpipes.
There isn't any of the abject misery that you find from many female Celtic musicians (well, actually I like that stuff.) The whole thing has a very 'live' sound to it, and you can almost imagine them performing out on a street corner in downtown Halifax. What plays very well are "Marie's Welcome," performed on harp; and a vocal number called "Coilin Phadraic Sheamais," which even sounds a bit Appalachian. A guitar and vocal rendition of a love song "Mo Bhuachallin Donn" is pretty relaxing; "McSorley's Repose" is an engaging Scottish air. Arrangements of pieces by Handel and Mozart just sound weird.
So to simplify, there's some good stuff on here, and some okay stuff. I've heard better, but I've heard worse.
Anyway, at least you know what you're getting, and Narada's Celtic Aire lives up to its word. It's Celtic, and "Aire-y." This is all performed by a group called Dordan, four Irish women: Mary Bergin, Dearbhail Standun, Kathleen Loughnane, and Martina Goggin.
I've been listening to Celtic music for a few years now, and I'd say they fall in one of the bigger traps - taking a song that runs for about 45 seconds and turning it into four minutes. On some tracks, you long for them to change the orchestration, or even touch up the final mix.
Still, on the whole, it's a solid album, acoustic, traditional, with music composed either by the members of the gang itself or arranged from old traditional melodies. It doesn't take risks, and there aren't any bagpipes.
There isn't any of the abject misery that you find from many female Celtic musicians (well, actually I like that stuff.) The whole thing has a very 'live' sound to it, and you can almost imagine them performing out on a street corner in downtown Halifax. What plays very well are "Marie's Welcome," performed on harp; and a vocal number called "Coilin Phadraic Sheamais," which even sounds a bit Appalachian. A guitar and vocal rendition of a love song "Mo Bhuachallin Donn" is pretty relaxing; "McSorley's Repose" is an engaging Scottish air. Arrangements of pieces by Handel and Mozart just sound weird.
So to simplify, there's some good stuff on here, and some okay stuff. I've heard better, but I've heard worse.
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