Afro Celt Sound System – Volume 2: Release (1999)

This was picked up for next to nothing despite my ambivalence about Afro Celt Sound System 1, and has only had rare outings, for reasons which become apparent after a couple of listenings. The fusion of traditional Celtic music / African beats and 90s dance sounds interesting on paper, and when this works, it really works, but too much just doesn't work for me.

Opener Release has the sublime voice of Sinead O'Connor holding it aloft, and it's a decent song, spoiled only for my by the Irish pipes / dance beat middle sections. And that being what irritates me, I've no time for instrumental Lovers Of Light.

Éireann is a gentle song with a bit more about it, until, you guessed it, those pipes return. And my disinterest continues, until the lovely hypnotic song, Amber, which takes quite a minimal approach, rather than trying to celtify or Africanise the music.

But, sadly, I'm struggling to find much else which is an interesting listen to the end of the CD, apart from the reprise of Release, although as an instrumental without Sinead, and more bloody pipes!

My thoughts are that this strives for mood and authenticity, but only hits the mark when the songs are the most important thing, and that doesn't feel to be the case most of the time.

Link to album tracks

2* - A couple of tracks aside, this isn't a fusion which works for my tastes.