
David Arkenstone â Celtic Garden
Rating: 4 /5
I stumbled on David Arkenstoneâs newest album Celtic Garden when I heard a couple songs at a gift shop several weeks ago. With just that sampling, I was transported to another land by the American new age musicianâs blend of rustic folk music, enchanting vocal and instrument solos, and cinematic inspiration. Celtic Garden wasnât available for purchase then (the store had a pre-release promo copy), so I pre-ordered it from Amazon as soon as I got home. And after repeat listens to the CD, Iâm still under its spell.
Celtic Garden pays tribute to celebrated Celtic and new age artists such as Loreena McKennitt, Enya, and Celtic Woman, as well as the music from the Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit films. Half of the tracks are instrumentals highlighted by violinist David Davidson, whose style ranges from playful (âMisty Morningâ) to forlorn (âNocturneâ) to sweeping (âMisty Mountains / Song Of The Lonely Mountainâ). His âduetâ with Susan Craig Winsberg on flute and pennywhistle for âThe Voiceâ evokes images of folk dancing and Irelandâs greenest meadows. The other half of Celtic Garden floats on the breeze of Charlee Brooksâ voice. Sheâs not a power singer by means, but thatâs not what Celtic music is about. Instead, Charlee uses her gentle talents to charm the listener (âAll Soulsâ Nightâ), pray for compassion (âDeliver Meâ), and pine for a distant lover (âOnly An Ocean Awayâ).
Celtic Garden soothes me and speaks to my inner child. It entices me to relax, sing along, do yoga, even dance! (Yes, Iâve actually followed the urge and danced to this CD a few times!) I do, however, have a couple nitpicks. First, a couple tracks donât come across as truly Celtic (âMisty Morningâ sounds more like a nautical / pirate jaunt than an Irish jig, while âSafe and Soundâ retains too much of the country twang from Taylor Swiftâs original). Also, while the cover of Annie Lennoxâs LOTR classic âInto The Westâ is well done, the song requires more power and emotion than Charleeâs voice can offer. Nonetheless, Iâm thrilled that my recent gift store shopping led me to discovering David Arkenstoneâs Celtic Garden. And Iâm sure Iâll be visiting this breathtaking musical Eden time and time again.
Highlights: âMisty Mountains / Song of the Lonely Mountain,â âAll Soulsâ Night,â âThe Voiceâ
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Coming Soon:Â No new CDs to review at the moment, so it might be a few weeks before the next Mini-Review Monday. However, stay tuned for a new Chronicling The Craft, as well as a special post in April that’s dedicated to National Poetry Month!