by Catherine L. Tully

Artist: Lunasa
Album: "Se"
Year produced: 2006

Album number six (thus, Se) for Lunasa highlights their expertise in musical arrangement, and opens up some fresh ways of making Celtic music go. The guitar music works with, rather than against the traditional sounds here, and the instruments are the true stars of the show, with no vocals to compete. As a matter of fact, on the slower songs, the guitar gives the music an almost otherworldly feeling.

If you are looking for some really good Irish music, you will find it here. This band knows how to squeeze depth out of this style in a way that many other bands don't yet understand. There is a steady, calm current of energy within, an ebb and flow, that is present even in the softer, slower songs. This is a CD that could have benefited from a few more tracks, as when you come to the end, you wish there was just a little bit more there. However, if that is the worst critique you get, you are in pretty darn good shape as a group!

Perhaps the most unique thing about Lunasa is that you don't quite know where the sound is going next. Part of this musical genre includes a familiarity that makes long-time fans of Irish music pretty good at guessing where the next notes will be. This band tosses a curve out from time to time, adding a freshness and dimension to the tracks without leaving the listener confused. All in all, a well done CD.

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Catherine L. Tully is a freelance writer and photographer specializing in the arts. She has written for Dance Teacher Magazine, Classical Singer and Dance Spirit among others, and reviews music for Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her at www.freelance-zone.com.

Labels: cd_review_2006

Posted by Marc Gunn, Monday, March 13, 2006.
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