by Catherine L. Tully

Artist: Rathkeltair
Album: "Everybody"
Year produced: 2006

This popular band debuted in 2003 and has been engaging audiences ever since. From the Celtic lead in on the first track on "Everybody" to the mix of instruments, this band is one that truly fuses rock with Celtic sound for something that is altogether their own. Sometimes their style is referred to as "Celtic Rock Jam Fusion," but it is truly the rhythm that captures you and stands out strong in the songs included here on this CD.

A perfect example are the staccato sounds that pump and punctuate throughout track 2, "Night Visit/Brenda Stubbert's Reel. Full of Celtic sound, it transforms in the middle of the song and morphs into a true stew of musical styles. One fades and in another comes to take its place, but it is never forced.

Somehow this band makes it seem like whatever is going on musically is the most natural thing on earth, even though this is something many long-time bands in the genre never manage to achieve. The pipes are expertly played in the hands of Neil Anderson; former member of the band "Seven Nations" along with fellow Rathkeltair band member Nick Watson, who plays drums and the tin whistle.

If you are a Celtic rock lover--this is not the CD to pass on--it's just the right mixture of songs and sounds. Truly groundbreaking--this award-winning band is really something to hear. Have a listen. Make yourself happy.

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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 Marc Gunn's Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her through her photography website at www.moonbeamdigital.com.

Labels: cd_review_2007

Posted by Marc Gunn, Wednesday, March 14, 2007.
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