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by Genevieve Williams
Ah, yes, it's that time of year -- when people drape evergreen over everything in sight, everywhere you go they're piping in "Jingle Bells" in a way even more annoying than the last one and it rains and rains and rains. Well, if you're like me and the shortened days and winter rain drive you crazy, I've got one or two albums here that'll perk you right up. For appetizers, I bring you not one, but two soundtracks: Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, of course. There's also new material from Canadian Celt-rockers Leahy, Celtic Fiddle Festival and south-of-the-border Lila Downs. Indian pop star Sheila Chandra's got a reissue of early work, Joanne Shenandoah gives us some folk-rock and our very own Gaia Consort presents its long-awaited new release, Secret Voices.
The soundtrack to Lord of the Rings (Reprise) is by Howard Shore, whose previous work includes The Cell, Dogma and eXistenZ. The Rings soundtrack is heavy on choral material, which is something I sometimes find obnoxious (almost every time James Horner does it, for instance), but for a production like this it's entirely appropriate. The score is lush, full and emotionally varied, though it makes use of remarkably few musical themes. This means that Shore stretches a fairly small amount of material into a musical score that lasts well over an hour, of which the high point is the "Bridge of Khazad Dum" sequence. While there is a tendency for melodrama in this score, it's entirely excusable on the basis that this is music for an epic, melodramatic story. There's also a considerable number of songs written and performed by Enya, who acquits herself admirably -- and this is coming from someone who's emphatically not an Enya fan. Many of the lyrics overall, especially for the choral segments, are drawn directly from Tolkien; others were written for this film and then translated into one or more of the many languages of Tolkien's world. Soundtracks are often released before the movies they accompany, in order to whet the audience's appetite. The Lord of the Rings soundtrack succeeds on that score as well, although by the time most of you read this I imagine you'll have already seen the movie.
John Williams' score for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Warner/Atlantic) starts appropriately enough, with a jauntily spooky tune that suggests that Williams was having a Danny Elfman (Nightmare Before Christmas, Men in Black) kind of day. Soon enough, though, we move onto familiar ground, with the crisp strings, the flares from the woodwinds and the occasional punch from the horns that are hallmarks of Williams' style. His Potter score is, to be honest, a more sophisticated piece of work than Shore's for Lord of the Rings; where Shore paints with a broad brush, filling his canvas with wide sweeps of color, Williams goes for the fine detail. Williams also doesn't go in much for sweeping drama, though he has done so in soundtracks past (Star Wars and the Indiana Jones films, to give you a couple of obvious examples). Still, there are moments, such as in "The Quidditch Match," "The Chess Game" and "Hedwig's Theme," where you get bits of the drama that Williams is famous for. In short, while his Harry Potter score isn't exactly ground-breaking -- listening to just about any segment of it, you'll find yourself thinking "Yep, that's John Williams" -- it does serve its purpose, and it is entertaining.
The new CD from Canadian Celtic-rockers Leahy is called Lakefield (Narada), and I'm honestly not sure what I think of it. The instrumental tracks are fine; "Mission" starts off slowly, then kicks up, while "Seamus" gets the rock-meets-Celtic folk treatment. "Stoney Lake and Juniper Island" sounds like Charlie Daniels has been at it, so if you're a fan, that's a good thing. "Leviathan" and "The Skater" both have fine gradations of mood; the latter in particular has an eastern European feel that's very appealing. The problem lies in the songs. Leahy's members are great musicians, but they aren't great lyricists, and it weakens the work as a whole. While the instrumental pieces sound fresh and up-to-date, the songs are in a rather bland style of pop that's ultimately disappointing. The production is also far too slick for this kind of music. Seek out Leahy's 1997 self-titled debut instead; it's much warmer and more genuine, with much more of an edge.
Far more satisfying is the new Celtic Fiddle Festival release, Rendezvous (Green Linnet). As I've mentioned before, Green Linnet can be counted on for high-quality Celtic music, and here the label does not disappoint. Celtic Fiddle Festival is a trio of fiddle players, Kevin Burke, Johnny Cunningham and Christian Le Maitre, who play music from all over the Celtic map. We tend to think of Ireland and Scotland when we think of Celtic culture, but it's worth remembering that this was a civilization that once spanned Europe, however thoroughly parts of it were conquered and subdued later on. "O'Carolan's Concerto," a classic of the Celtic genre, is a classical-influenced piece and an unusual beginning to a collection like this one. "Gavotten," the second selection, is an adaptation of music from Brittany; indeed, many selections from this region are included here, lending a bit of variety to the CD as a whole. Of course, there's plenty of Irish and Scottish music as well, and the whole thing has a relaxed, light-hearted, jaunty air that explains why this group's live performances are so popular. This is the group's first studio CD; may it be a sign of more to come.
If you're like me, the cold and rain and darkness of this time of year can drive you stir-crazy. It's almost possible to believe that the sun won't come back after Yule... so, as a counter to winter doldrums, I've dug up some warm-climate music. First up is Lila Downs' Border (Narada World), a collection of socially conscious folk music in the spirit of Woody Guthrie and in a style from south of the border. Downs has a rich, warm, expressive voice that does everything she asks of it, and her songs are a comprehensive exploration of the immigrant experience in the United States. It's a rough one, as anyone who glances at the newspaper occasionally knows, but, like Guthrie, Downs finds a bit of light in the darkness and makes it all the brighter for the contrast. She sings in a variety of languages, including those of indigenous cultures of Mexico and places further south; English translations for most are provided. Even if you don't understand the words, though, the sensibility behind them comes through loud and clear.
Slightly less impressive is Sheila Chandra's The Struggle, recently reissued on Narada World. One of the Indian pop star's earlier efforts, it's hampered by the electronic and production limitations of the 1980s, so that the considerable richness of Chandra's voice and music do not come through as well as on some of her other recordings. Still, it's hardly bad and was a groundbreaking record at the time, when world music had not yet been discovered (if that's the right word) and nobody was doing genre crossovers. Now, of course, it's a different story, and The Struggle sounds commonplace instead of revolutionary. Still, Chandra's mixing of genres and cultures sounds a lot more genuine than many more recent examples. Done back before you had to combine two previously unrelated genres or no one would give you a second ear, it has an honesty that often overcomes the unfortunate '80s sound.
Oneida Iroquois singer-songwriter Joanne Shenandoah likes to try out new musical genres from time to time. For her latest, Eagle Cries (Red Feather Music), she goes for a folk-rock sound that, in general, works well. There's still considerable variety: The opening track, "Heartbeat," has an invocatory feel, while "Treaty" combines a country-music inflection with an almost ironic quality, which is perhaps not unexpected given the song's subject. Songs like "Feather from Heaven" and "Once Again" are both examples of the gentle balladry that is Shenandoah's hallmark, but she's not above issuing the occasional cautionary tale. Although "One Silver One Gold" is based on an ancient myth, one can easily find present-day applications of the metaphor. While Shenandoah may be a little relaxed for some -- I keep wishing she'd rock out once in a while -- she's an excellent songwriter, pulling off the always difficult task of singing about upbeat subjects without sounding like a Pollyanna.
And finally, I'm happy to present to you the latest from the Pacific Northwest's own Gaia Consort, titled Secret Voices (Suddenly Naked Arts Collective). Gaia Consort probably needs no introduction, being well known to pagan circles (if you'll pardon the pun) across the United States. Few bands that feature pagan members are especially overt about it, so Gaia Consort's music is especially refreshing. Centered around Christopher Bingham and Sue Tinney, Secret Voices includes a host of backing musicians providing keyboard, fiddle, flute and other instruments to fill things out. Just about all of them come out for "Beltane Fires," a rollicking, Celtic-folk-flavored slice of ritual rock (you'll understand what I mean by that when you hear it). It's the highlight of the CD, but there's plenty of good stuff to hear before you get to it. Things start off in a fairly relaxed manner, with the folky "Secret Womb of Night," which is echoed at the CD's very end with the title track. There are a few heart-thumpers, such as "Blood," reminiscent in theme and imagery of a particularly visceral Wild Hunt, and the anthemic "Cry Freedom." Bingham and Tinney are at their best, though, when they get introspective. Especially good is the sweet, tender "Three," as well as the reflective "Secret of the Rain." Gaia Consort's material is overall somewhat folky, with a definite classic-rock inflection that surfaces now and again. Pagan perspectives aside, what's special about them is the understated elegance of many of their songs -- there's a lot more going on here than you might catch at first listen. Very nicely done.
Genevieve Williams is a Seattle freelance writer and the drummer for Murder of Crows. She can be reached at rimrun@drizzle.com with feedback, suggestions or recommendations. Local and pagan musicians are encouraged to submit material for review.