by Catherine L. Tully

Artist: MojoKelt
Album: "Live At The Grange"
Year produced: 2006

A pretty dang new band, only formed in January of 2006, MojoKelt is off to a good start with "Live At The Grange." It's funny--when you look at Celtic bands that are new--it isn't anything like looking at new bands in other styles of music; and this one is no exception. Many Celtic musicians are former session players, such as MojoKelt's Tom Watson, or have been playing traditional music for many, many years, such as the band's champion Uilleann pipe player, Paul McKernan. While there may be amateur musicians out there in the field, you aren't going to find them here. Not in this band.

Branded "Rock n' Folk n' Roll," their sound fits the description, but in a typically traditional Irish way. The pipes really are a signature sound here, and the entire CD has a "small venue" feel that is refreshingly not over-processed. Close your eyes and you can believe you're at the pub listening to them.

Don't miss track 3's, "The Kesh Set" here, an absolute jam. Not one bad track in the bunch on this CD. The band favors an upbeat tempo, which is especially "sprightly" in many of the songs. There are a few notable exceptions, such as track 6, "She Wore Black" which almost starts with the feel of a slower pop rock song--different and rather attention-grabbing considering the flavor of the other pieces here.

Also in the same vein is the last track on the CD, "The Walker," an easy tune with simple lyrics that work well in tandem with the subtle accompaniment. A little slice of life piece to wrap things up.

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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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