by Brenda Stokes

Artist: Moya Brennan
Album: "Two Horizons"
Year produced: 2004

After listening to "Two Horizons" by Moya Brennan for the first time, I was left speechless. Her flawless voice and instrumentation make for a unique Celtic musical collection that combines old and new styles seamlessly.

The album begins with the haunting melody of "Show Me" that can't help but remind me of Brennan's sister Enya's style of song. However, Moya captures something unique unto herself in this piece with sweeping instrumentation and a new-age sensibility.

Other tunes include, "Bright Star," "Bi Liom," and "Change My World," which is a more traditionally Irish song that still captures the best of Brennan's enchanting vocals.

Personal favorites include "Falling," a catchy and radio-worthy track that will leave you singing the chorus for days; "Tara," a story-driven piece that showcases Moya's crystal clear voice; and "Mothers of the Desert," which features a pop dance beat with strings and Moya's lilting harmonies overlaid on top of it. It is particularly catchy and hypnotic for me because of the graceful combination made between Moya's voice and the techno beat.

All of the songs included on "Two Horizons" connect in some way, creating a complete story when put together and making for a unique and enjoyable listening experience-even if you're not a fan of Irish music!

The title track, "Two Horizons," begins mysteriously as many of Brennan's songs do, but is a classy display of her soft, yet powerful vocals. As the low whistle begins to accompany her, the song slowly turns more and more traditional, soon leaving Brennan's voice behind for the bodhran and fiddles.

What a joy Moya Brennan brings to Celtic music lovers everywhere with, "Two Horizons,"-an album that is so uniquely Irish, you can't help but come back for more.

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Celtic MP3s Music Magazine writer, Brenda Stokes is a freelance writer, former Irish Step-dancer and college student located in Southern California. She dreams in jigs and reels and is pursuing a degree in English with an emphasis in Irish studies. Her work has appeared in Woman This Month and N2arts and she can be reached at brenda@ph-x.com

Labels: cd_review_2005

Posted by Marc Gunn, Thursday, March 17, 2005.
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