by Catherine L. Tully

Artist: The Tea Merchants
Album: "The Tea Merchants"
Year produced: 2005

For three guys who modestly claim they started a band to "procure grocery money and a free evening tab at the bar" these fellows sure can play! The self-titled CD opens strong with some traditional Irish fare, which continues throughout all 8 tracks. The only complaint I had for these fine gentlemen is that they needed more songs on the album!

The sound is very full, and the instruments ring forth loud and clear, never sounding muddled. The arrangements are actually pretty complex, pushing the music (and musicians) to their capacity and giving the listener the feel that they are going all out for the enjoyment of it. You can literally hear the passion in the songs. This, when it happens, is a rare and beautiful thing.

If you are looking for something a little bit different, check out track 7 (Polkas and Slides) for a fun romp. Truthfully, all of the tracks on this CD were darn good. Each of these musicians brings a very unique styling to the instrument that they play, but they all meld together well, rather than being one pitted against the other. For a big, yummy Irish melting pot of music with some extra special zing tossed in to spice it up, put these guys in and press play.

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Catherine L. Tully is a freelance writer and photographer who specializes in the arts. She has written for American Style and Classical Singer, among others and reviews music for Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her through her photography website at www.moonbeamdigital.com.

Labels: cd_review_2006

Posted by Marc Gunn, Friday, May 05, 2006.
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