Awesome! New ingredient completes masterpiece!
author: JFK from Racine
Raven on keyboards and e-bagpipes is a nice compliment to this already excellent band. I am not a Celtic rock fan but they create great renditions of trad. Irish songs as well as free-flowing originals. I like every song on the CD and RECOMMEND it to anyone looking for something a little different and musically/lyrically challenging. The production quality is incredible. They have defined their own sound, but the vocals of my favorite song, Changes reminds me of Bob Mould. Check out Sun Comes Up and Lucky Day also, what the heck, why don't you just listen to the whole thing!
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Textured, churning ensemble sound with communicable celtic melodies
author: John Haines
A lively record that sounds like it's mixed nearly live. The barrelhouse everyman vocals make it easy to feel proud for taking the mike in your own daydreams.
Start to finish, big melodies are held high by a chrurning undertow of rhythm. At times, the piano finds strangly universal pleasure-centers much like, perhaps, icicles adroitly dropped by God upon sidewalks, trashcans and glass. (Never fails, that.)
This Time Around has found the sound that proves beyond a doubt that there is no reason to build a better mousetrap when you can cut such hearty cheese...and serve it with some bodran/recorder/didgeridoo/icicles to massage the major muscle groups in rock and roll.
Need to see 'em.
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Celtic tradition with a dollop of good ol' US R 'n R
author: Steve in Indiana
Who'da thunk that great Scots-Irish music would emerge from the land of Packers and beer cheese? "This Time Around" is an incredible mix of Celtic traditions and American rock 'n roll direct from Wisconsin. Uniqutely reworked favorites like "Molly" and "Danny Boy" blend seamlessly with 'Carvers originals like "Can't," "Changes," and "Sun Comes Up," a surprisingly well-fitting tribute to Nelson Mandela. My personal fave is "Rowan Tree," which gives the listener some idea of what it would have sounded like if a Scottish regiment had been led into battle by Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. Truly unique. Another amazing concoction is the band's most original rendering of the classic tune, "Drowsy Maggie," which somehow manages to bring together an Australian digeridoo, an electronic chanter (for the uninitiated, a 21st-century bagpipe), and a classic American rhythm section. None of this should downplay gripping vocals (see "Danny Boy"), lovely original tunes, driving guitars, and the frequent appearance of the bodhran, a sort of tamborine-looking hand-held drum which one plays with the thumbs. NOT TO BE MISSED!!!
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A must have for any fan of Celtic rock! Really!!
author: Beth
This cd is infectious. It begins with some toe tapping, ends with huge jumping around the room beats and has a little bit of soul stuck in the middle. The music is full and the vocals are just beautiful. Being able to actually hear the bodhran in the mix is fantastic!
The remake of "Danny Boy" is energetic and original. It really is a new song when done by this band. Some tracks will rock you silly, while others will move through you with effortless grace. The lyrics will be embedded in your mind long after you have finished listening.
I dare anyone to sit still through the entire cd. Impossible! Hands will clap, feet will move and your face will hurt from smiling. It's a GREAT cd to play at your next gathering. The mix of instruments and the diversity of the songs makes this everyman's cd.
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