by Catherine L. Tully

Artist: Deirdre Ni Chinneide
Album: "Celtic Passage"
Year produced: 2007

Not many debut albums have the kind of immediate impact on the listener that Celtic Passage does. This is music from a lady (Deirdre Ni Chinneide) who has a very distinct, unusual style and knows how to weave together an interesting and artistic CD. The sounds heard here were inspired in part by the land of Inis Mor, the largest of a group of islands off the west coast of Ireland. The island is also the artist's home.

Deirdre is a psychotherapist, working in the specialized field of trauma and recovery, and it is reflected strongly in the soothing feel of her music. She believes in the healing power of sound, and it shows. This CD is balm for the most stressful of days or moods. Songs like "Cry to the Mountains" and others have an almost "new age" slant to them, with a world music mood here and there as well.

It is difficult to describe the tenderness of the singer's voice, but it rings out in its angelic tones and leaves one feeling relaxed--like all is right with the world. Harmonies punctuate here and there, keeping the sound from being too one-dimensional and infusing tracks such as "Mother" with energy despite their gentleness.With 13 tracks, there is plenty of time to sit with this music and let it work its magic. By the end of the CD, listeners should find they feel inspired and refreshed, for this is truly restorative sound here. Not just a copy of others who came before her, Deirdre Ni Chinneide finds her own way into the field with Celtic Passage, and stakes her claim with this ethereal effort.

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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 other magazines, and reviews music for Marc Gunn's Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her through her website at www.catherineltully.com.

Labels: cd_review_2008

Posted by Marc Gunn, Thursday, January 31, 2008.
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