This review is written by Kevin McCarthy, 6/05
"Kevin and Maxine’s Celtic & Folk Music CD Reviews"
http://www.icogitate.com/~celticfolkmusic/index.html
For her first release, San Diego area-based Heloise Love
offers a collection of primarily
celtic traditional songs, with amor as its primary theme. Some cuts are from
the weak-in-the-knees area of the relationship spectrum, others are not so
genial.
The rhythmic nugget "Star Of The County Down" opens the
release and paints a picture of pitching woo back in old Eire.
It's followed by the lullaby "Dream Angus," the name for the
Scottish 'sandman' who traditionally expects sleep to be
achieved by the time he empties his bottle of spirits. If not, sleep
will be induced by a crack on the head with it. This is
a kinder, gentler version.
"Holding Me" portrays the more
uplifting elements of coupling, "Black Is The Color" starts positive but finishes as a lament while "Let Him Go, Let Him Tarry"
depicts personal liberation via the discarding a "deadweight" mate.
Credit Love for tackling one of the all-time great songs, Kate
Wolf's "Across The Great Divide." Her version is admirable but isn't
quite as wistful as the
original.
"Somebody" is the standout cut here with vocals, lyrics, guitar
and fiddle forming an elegant, touching and memorable combination.
"Wild Mountain Thyme" works wonderfully as Love sings it at a slower-than-usual pace.
Andy M. Stewart's tearjerker, "Where Are You Tonight, I Wonder?," ends on a muted but hopeful note.
With background nature sounds adding dramatic effect, "Song For The
Mira" is the closer and another gem. It is also a lullaby-like philosophical cut
that looks
back with great satisfaction at various moments in life.
Heloise Love on vocals and guitar, is backed by Richard Heinz
on vocals, piano and keyboards; Randy Sterling on guitar, percussion,
banjo, mandolin and bass; David Morgan on guitar, mandolin and dobro;
Bob Woldin on guitar; Maury Richmond on fiddle and Claus Sellier on
mandolin.
Track List:
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