The next lot will be a long hike through the alphabet, picking up artists not yet encountered, with occasional distractions along the way.
When I first heard of Afro Celt Sound System, on paper, it sounded exactly what I'd enjoy - World Music drawing on British and Irish folk tradition, with the Real World name as an indicator of quality. However, I remember being disappointed, but I'm unsure why.
The group's creator, Simon Emmerson, died earlier this year, so I owe his work a revisit.
The opening piece, Saor, starts with a bagpipe-like drone, leading into a brighter piece, an Irish sounding dance underpinned by African drumming. That theme being established, Whirl-Y-Reel 1, is also an Irish tune, mandolin (?) and whistle with African percussion, it's a fine listen, and I'm sure it's an absolute blast in the sunshine at a festival, suitably stimulated. Inion is a shorter piece, the album's first vocals, in irish, but done in an African style with a duduk soloing - slower, a bit of a rest after the dancy stuff, and the gentler mood continues with the harp-like sound of Sure-As-Knot, relaxing, if a little over-long. There's another Irish song next, Nil Cead Againn Dul Abhaile, slow and wailing - not unpleasant, but not seven minutes of interest. It does liven up towards the end leading into Dark Moon, High Tide, and we're back to pipes playing an Irish dance, with African percussion and electronic treatment, which segues into another similar piece Whirl-Y-Reel 2, while House Of The Ancestors follows the same formula before slowing down into a pleasant, gentle song. The album concludes with Eistigh Liomas Sealad starting with a North African sounding guitar-style piece, fading into a heartfelt Irish song, which to these ears goes on too long.
I've enjoyed this more than I expected, although I see why I was disappointed. There are lots of interesting pieces, although they have a tendency to outstay their welcome and the Irish dance/African drums formula dominates.
3* - a good idea, well executed, but at times rambling and formulaic.
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