Arthur Hinds' first solo album,  Poetry of Wonder, is a joy to listen to.  Produced at Starbridge Studios, Arthur Hinds worked on this album, doing most of the music and lyrics himself.   It is a fun album that has been masterfully worked and is guaranteed to please.  It's hard to pin what sort of sound he was going for with this album though, since the music quite obviously draws inspiration from many different cultures and styles.  Some of his songs seem to have a Spanish sound to them while a few others have a country twang rolling within them.  It would take a master to work these disparate sounds together into one coherent album.  It's a good thing then, that Arthur Hinds is indeed a master musician.  It could not have been an easy feat, but the songs flow wonderfully into each other, and there are a few that will stick in your head long after you've turned off your MP3 player.  His songs are serious and touching, yet filled with just enough whimsy to remind us that sometimes we take ourselves too seriously.

There are a few songs that stick out in this reviewers mind.  Pantheon, the seventh song on the album is a wonderful example of how chants are supposed to be sung.  Mr. Hinds chants three separate lines (one for the Goddess, one for the God, and one for Nature), musically weaving the chants into something that is truly transporting to its listener.  Hearing it always makes me feel like I should be dancing and chanting around a solstice fire.  The Forth song on the album is called “Never Underestimate”, and the song details a fundamentalist out to convert Heathens in his area.  The chorus contains the friendly warning to “Never Underestimate a Woman with the Goddess in her Eyes”.  This fun tune has a definite country feel to it, and the lyrics will bring a smile to your face.  The final song, “Sing” has Hinds crooning his farewells.  The humming that almost hides under his deep throated vocals draws your attention while keeping you focused, and I think would be a wonderful addition to end nearly any meditation or circle work.

All in all, this album is wonderful find, and one I heartily suggest should be picked up.  This reviewer will be eagerly awaiting his next album.

Review by Brandy "Kitsune" Ackerley
Pagan Radio Network
                            Read more...
                        

                            
I’m only now getting around to checking out this CD and it has proved to be a wonder worth waiting.  Track 5, entitled Pantheon, is one of the best chants I’ve heard in ages.  The harmonies are really tight and the drumming awakens the spirit.  Not surprising, as Arthur plays the bodhran for Emerald Rose; absolutely perfect for sabbat fire leaping, twirling and visioning.  My next favorite is Track 9, Greenwood Woman.  Arthur drops his voice to such sultry lows, you feel it exactly where needed with a song such as this – a romantic and powerful ode to women.  I don’t want to forget to mention the last track, Sing, which is a druidic feast.  I hope you decide to check out “Poetry of Wonder,” too; you’ll be wondering why you waited!
                            Read more...
                        

                            
The love that Arthur Hinds has for his music, heritage and faith is evident in his album Poetry of Wonder!
                            Read more...
                        

                            
Those who know Arthur Hinds as singer/songwriter for the Celtic Folk Rock group Emerald Rose will not be surprised by the strength and lyricism of these songs, nor by their eclectic tone and subject matter-- ranging from comic satire, to moving love poetry, to a deep, exhilarating spirituality. 

What might surprise fans familiar with his previous work is the versatility of Hinds the musician. In this first solo effort, he plays all the instruments on almost all of the tracks, delivering precise performances in every style and mood he chooses to visit: jazz, flamenco, country, rock. 

The result is a deeply personal statement that yet strikes universal chords. Like the best of Emerald Rose, Poetry of Wonder is compulsively listenable and untiring--well-worth hearing again and again.
                            Read more...