Album Notes

REVIEW from http://www.indie-music.com/
By Erik Deckers

Quote: "Make sure you get two CDs, otherwise you’ll be fighting your kids for it constantly."

Intro/general thoughts: Let’s face it, if you want a CD for your kids, you’re limited to Sesame Street CDs or Barney Sings the Bee Gees, neither of which you should play on long car trips. So I was happy to receive a copy of Jennifer Licko’s new CD, Celtic Moonsongs for Sydney, a collection of Celtic lullabies. During one long car trip, I popped it into the CD player to see how my three kids liked it. And despite the lack of a purple dinosaur singing “More Than a Woman,” they seemed to enjoy it, and dropped off to sleep soon thereafter. Licko’s fourth CD is an acoustic collection of traditional American and European lullabies that feature her tender vocals over a bed of traditional guitar, fiddle, and mandolin. She has made a career of singing and dancing all things Celtic, and Celtic Moonsongs is one more feather in her cap of outstanding performances.

Notable: The album was created for Kim and Michael Ciamillo and their daughter, Sydney. Licko said she wanted to create something special and lasting for her best friend’s firstborn and to combine it with her love of Celtic music.

Favorite Performance: “An Irish Lullaby” is one of my favorite traditional songs to begin with, so to hear it get the full Jennifer Licko treatment made it truly special. Jorge Diaz’s guitar and David Dixon’s fiddle also added the full Celtic flavor to the song, making it my favorite track on the whole album. “All the Pretty Little Horses” was another favorite. Despite the optimistic theme of the lyrics - "when you wake, you’ll have cake and all the pretty little horses" - the minor key made it haunting and grey, which is typical of a lot of traditional Celtic music.
Fans: Any child who needs soft lullabies to go to sleep, anyone who heard them as a child, and any parent who’s tired of singing “The Wheels on the Bus.”

Foes: If you really had your heart set on hearing “I Started a Joke Hyuck Hyuck” then you won’t fully appreciate Celtic Moonsongs.

Summary: When your child is feeling sick or just wants Mommy or Daddy, turn out the lights, put this disc into the stereo, and snuggle up together. The music is soft, warm, and relaxing, and you’ll both be asleep before you finish the fifth track. But make sure you get two CDs, otherwise you’ll be fighting your kids for it constantly.