Spirit of the West - Live at the Bear's Den, Niagara Falls, NY - May 3, 2014

Spirit of the West – Live at the Bear’s Den – May 3, 2014

Vancouver rockers Spirit of the West began in 1983 as a trio consisting of John Mann, Geoffrey Kelly and J. Knutson.  The band’s original moniker, Eavesdropper, was quickly retired and Spirit of the West was born.   Originally plying their trade in Celtic and folk styles, the band became a popular draw on folk circuit.  By 1986, Knutson had departed and Hugh McMillan joined the band.  Vince Ditrich came on board in 1991, and Tobin Frank signed in on 1997.  Along the way other members have come and gone, and Spirit of the West has evolved as a band.  After expanding their sound in the early 1990s, SOTW became one of the premier alternative rock acts in Canada.  Spirit of the West continues to tour on a limited basis across Canada.  On Saturday, May 3, 2014, Spirit of the West brought their act to The Bear’s Den at Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, NY.  It was a night to remember.

Spirit of the West took the crowd of 400 or so fans on a tour of their storied career across a 90 minute set full of tremendous energy, wit and life.  John Mann sang and danced around the stage like a man of 22 rather than 52, occasionally lapsing into St. Vitus-like gyrations.  Geoffrey Kelly was the warm and witty front man, sharing stories and anecdotes about songs, experiences and life events.  Wrapped in all of this repartee was the music, which was as fresh and lively as it has ever been.  The band opened with “Canadian Skye” before launching into the acerbic “Putting up with the Joneses”.  This latter was brilliantly executed, and had the crowd on the edge of their seats.  John Mann led the audience on a journey through “And If Venice Is Sinking” and “King of Scotland” before Geoffrey Kelly took the mic for “Scotland” and “The Old Sod”.   This last featured an unannounced special guest vocalist whom Kelly later dubbed “Sexy”.  The inebriated 50-something blond sang unintelligibly into the mic throughout the song, much to the amusement of the band.  She was led away after the song by casino staff and hopefully was allowed to sleep it off.

By this point in a show you know if a band is clicking or not.  Spirit of the West was firing on all eight cylinders with horsepower to spare.  Next up was “Political”, a relationship postmortem with an incredibly snappy arrangement.  Among the band’s best-known songs, it found Mann at the top of his vocal game.  “The Rites of Man” was accompanied with a story about its origination, giving the crowd a deeper sense of the song.  It was a touching moment when Mann’s voice rose to the crescendo at the end of the chorus and Kelly joined in on Irish whistle to bring the jig the song was named for to life. 

“July” let into “Is This Where I Come In”, which featured some wonderfully jazzy piano work from Tobin Frank.  Kelly touched the crowd with a story about the premature birth of his son Ben Kelly (drummer for Fish and Bird).  This was the preamble to “Goodbye Grace”, a tribute to the hospital and staff who saw the younger Kelly (and his parents) through the first few months of his life.  Once again, the context created a tremendous sense of presence and place.  Pacing through “Wishing Line”, SOTW next launched into the spirited “Morning in the Bath Abbey”.  This one of the band’s most underappreciated gems, and the song came to life on stage. 

Spirit of the West closed things out with three of their most well-known songs. “Sadness Grows”, “Save This House” and “Home for a Rest”.  The energy build was tremendous, and by the end the crowd was on its feet and singing along word for word.  The crowd response brought the band for one last go with “The Crawl”.  This was a true sing-along, with the crowd nearly drowning out the band at times. 

Spirit of the West was in brilliant form on Saturday night.  Mann and Kelly shared lead vocal duties.  In spite of the passage of thirty years, the vocals were as crisp and clean as they have ever been (even if some of the high notes are a bit more of a challenge these days).  Hugh McMillan provided a lot of musical subtext, playing nearly every string instrument under the sun.  His cool stage persona reminds one of “Shades” from That Thing You Do.  Vince Ditrich has some mad skills on the drums; a fact that isn’t as apparent on the studio recordings as it is on stage.  Tobin Frank added a lot of color to the night on synth and accordion.  Even Matthew Harter, filling in on guitar while John Mann focuses on vocals showed signs of brilliance.  The show was 90 minutes of transcendence; setting clocks back two decades or so while rising above the mere repetition of songs heard many times before.  Spirit of the West played with a singular joy and intensity, and that combination brought the room to life.

In short, Spirit of the West rocked the house.

 Learn more at www.sotw.ca 

For those of you who haven't taken in a show at The Bear's Den but live in the Western New York or Southern Ontario regions, make a point of it.  The furthest seat from the stage is 40 feet away, and the U-shaped seating chart offers an intimate concert experience.  The world class sound system and steady stream of world class talent playing the place is a quiet gem sitting on the border between the U.S. and Canada.  And after the show it's just a short walk to the Falls if you're so inclined.

Review: Barenaked Ladies - You Run Away (single)

Barenaked Ladies - You Run Away
2010, Raisin Records

It's hard to believe it's been 12 years since Barenaked Ladies dominated both US and Canadian radio with One Week, much less that it's been 17 years since I first saw them in an over-crowded and likely illegally packed former truck garage in Buffalo, NY. I've heard Barenaked Ladies go from a jazzy acoustic-Pop sound to brooding new wave to Poppy dementia to mellowing Pop maestros who Paul McCartney himself calls one of the most interesting bands in Pop music today. Co-founder/vocalist/songwriter Steven Page departed the band last year, wanting a larger share/stage for his songwriting, leaving Barenaked Ladies as a quartet for the first time in nearly two decades. The band chose to continue in this fashion rather than trying to replace Page's iconic voice.

Barenaked Ladies will release their 11th studio album, All In Good Time, on March 23, 2010 in Canada with a US release due on March 30th. It will be the first new material as a quartet and has been a source of both agita and excitement for longtime fans. On January 8th, the Ladies released the first single, You Run Away, on their website. It would be hard to call You Run Away a departure for the band, as BNL have ever been moving toward a more developed and nuanced sound, but for years Ed Robertson and Steve Page were yang and yin, respectively, for the band. They served to balance one another, as Page's darker side brought out the lighter aspects of Robertson's musical character. Over the past few albums, Barenaked Ladies have become more and more egalitarian in their songwriting, changing the balance of songwriting duties and influences.

This change in structure started to bring out a fuller texture in the band in general, and Robertson's songwriting in particular. If You Run Away is any indication, the change that has been fomenting for the past decade comes into full bloom in 2010. You Run Away is a mid-tempo, sorrowful ballad. It could be a song about a failed relationship (and I am sure some fans will speculate about the lyrics and Page's departure), but it's not an angry song. The melody is among the finest Barenaked Ladies have crafted in their 20+ years together, and it might be just the tune needed to return Barenaked Ladies to the Pop charts.

Robertson is in amazing voice, and arrangement is serene and melancholy, full of an almost tragic beauty. If You Run Away is representative of the album, All In Good Time could be their finest album yet. On a purely subjective level, as a fan, You Run Away brings me back to a time and place when I used to listen to the band incessantly. Not because it sounds like they used to, but because it sounds like Barenaked Ladies are once again creating like they used to.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Barenaked Ladies at http://www.barenakedladies.com/. Barenaked Ladies will release All In Good Time (read review here) on their own label, Raisin Records, but recently signed a distribution agreement with EMI Music. The song will be released on iTunes in the near future. For now you can stream You Run Away on their website. You Run Away and All In Good Time were produced by Michael Philip Wojewoda, who previously produced the band's groundbreaking 1993 debut album, Gordon, and their 2008 Children's album Snacktime, as well as albums for Spirit Of The West, Great Big Sea, Ashley MacIsaac and The Rheostatics.

Review: Kevin Hearn And Thin Buckle - Havana Winter

Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle - Havana Winter
2009, Celery Music

Kevin Hearn would make music if the only instruments available to him were a pair of rocks to bang together. The projects and bands he's either been a member of or contributed to over the years is a bit astonishing. Hearn has played a part in recordings and/or tours for Corky & The Juice Pigs, The Look People, The Rheostatics, Lou Reed, The Tragically Hip, Garth Hudson, Ron Sexsmith, Broken Social Scene and Laurie Anderson, to name but a few. And we should probably mention his regular gig as multi-instrumentalist (primarily keyboard) for Barenaked Ladies. Hearn's quirky songwriting style and distinctive ability to capture bits of pop magic in song has served him well and endeared him to listeners all over the world. Havana Winter, released July 28, 2009, is Hearn's 4th solo album, and third with Thin Buckle (comprised of former Look People alums Chris Gartner - bass and Great Bob Scott - drums; guitarist Brian Macmillan and joined on Havana Winter by Lou Reed guitarist Mike Rathke.) Co-produced by Hearn and legendary Canadian producer Michael Philip Wojewoda, (Barenaked Ladies, Spirit Of The West, The Rheostatics, Great Big Sea, Ashley MacIsaac) Havana Winter furthers Hearn's distinctive songwriting style, dubbed "Planetarium Pop", that combines ambient keyboard elements with more traditional mellow pop songwriting for a musical experience that you don't so much listen to as become part of.

Havana Winter opens with Coma, driven by a distinctive keyboard riff that will keep the song running through your head long after it's stopped playing. Hearn exhorts people everywhere to wake up to the world around them rather than be hypnotized by gadgets, suburbs and the mundane aspects of day-to-day life. The song is a great listen with a wonderfully jarring guitar solo on the fade out. On The Runway is one of those songs that where I don't entirely get the lyrical content but I'm so enraptured with the music it doesn't matter. The lyrics might just be a dreamy rumination on plans, but the lush backdrop Hearn and Thin Buckle have created here is divine. Driven by a lively guitar and bass skeleton, Hearn wraps his keyboard around the song like a vibrant coat of musical colors. On The Runway is one of those songs that the replay button was made for.

Reeling reflects the grief of losing a loved one in poetic and beautiful language. The arrangement Hearn wraps around his memorial is lush and alive, carrying with it the co-mingled energies of memory and love. On first listen I didn't really get this one, but with a more careful ear it's an incredibly powerful and moving song, delivered as always with Hearn's light touch. Luna continues in a similar vein, speaking directly to the one who is gone and includes one of the best lyrical turns of the year, "If you were lost at sea, what kind of a lighthouse would I be?"). In these two songs Hearn displays an incredible ability to take pain and put it into words without beating the listener over the head with his suffering. In poetic and quirky fashion, Hearn communicates the depth of his grief and the depth of his love without getting mired in the sort of negativity that can drag down a song or even an album.

Hearn turns up the metronome on Huntsville.CA, a driven acoustic Brit-Rock tune that will make you want to dance. It's an amusing and lively look at how small, out-of-the way towns most of year can become bustling centers of activity in the summer months. Anyone who's a townie living in the shadow of a seasonal tourist attraction will appreciate the sentiment, and musically it's flat out a great tune (listen in particular for the guitar work throughout the song). In The Shade is a quirky mellow pop-tune with an island influence that equates love with sun exposure, "they'll burn you up in the end". Lush vocals/harmonies and a melodic structure born from another generation of pop music make for a pleasant surprise and a great listen. Havana Winter closes with H.I.T.S. (Helicopter In The Sand). The arrangement here is classic Kevin Hearn, mellow with a lot more harmonic work in the wings that you find in your typical Rock song. Hearn seems to explore the need to chase dreams, and how sometimes even failing to get where you planned gets you where you need to be. The song is highly poetic, deep and subtle, both lyrically and musically.

There's a reason everyone and his brother in the Canadian music scene ends up working with Kevin Hearn; there are few better at their craft. As a songwriter Hearn has developed significantly over the past two decades. He's always going to be a bit out of the mainstream (although he can do mainstream if he wants to), but you'll never walk away from a Hearn album musically dissatisfied. Havana Winter is Hearn's finest work yet; the sort of album you don't want to put down. Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle should be on your must-listen list. Bet on them making a bunch of year-end lists. For now, Havana Winter is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kevin Hearn at http://www.kevinhearn.com/ or http://www.bnlmusic.com/. Havana Winter will hit shelves on July 28, 2009. You can pre-order copies via Amazon.com. Once the album is released you can also pick up copies at Hearn’s webstore. Expect wide digital availability after the release date.

Review: Cara Luft - The Light Fantastic

Cara Luft - The Light Fantastic
2007, Black Hen Music

Winnipeg’s Cara Luft is a musical tour-de-force that you might never have heard of if you live outside of Canada. An integral part of folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys, Luft chose to follow her own path in 2005 after three years, two albums and one Juno Award for Best Roots album. Nicknamed “Jenny Van Halen” for her raucous guitar style, Luft is as accomplished with an axe as she is behind the microphone. Her album, The Light Fantastic, is a wonderful mix of the spiritual and the mundane, the certain and the in-between. Produced by Neil Osborne (54-40), The Light Fantastic features multi-instrumentalist Hugh McMillan (Spirit Of The West, James Keelaghan), Richard Moody (The Bills) and Christian Dugas. It a rare gem in popular music; a spending musical experience with outstanding storytelling.

Cara Luft shows an ability to capture moments and people in song that is uncanny. Whether her subjects are real or imagined, or even herself, Luft opens a window in each song on a person, place or time that is so believable you can almost touch them. Her voice is perfectly suited to this style of country/Americana; a warm alto with a bit of small-town country sass. The Light Fantastic opens with There's A Train, a song about escaping a relationship that's an emotional tempest, even if it means leaving home. Luft has a subtle power in his voice and is deft at using it to accentuate the emotions the protagonist feels here. This leads into No Friend Of Mine; with a lyrical economy that packs a punch, Luft tells someone who's no good for her to get lost. Turning the tables, Talk For A While is inspired by a bit of non-committal vulnerability; it's an incredibly human emotion in song, caught perfectly like a photograph set to music.

From a pure musical standpoint, Black Water Side is one of the more memorable moments on the album, with a wonderful arrangement that captures motion and movement within the notes and rhythms of the song. Luft's version of Lord Roslyn's Daughter may have officially transplanted the Great Big Sea rendition as my favorite version of this traditional tune. Luft delivers a stirring vocal performance, blending with unforgettable harmony vocals that are full of urgency you can almost reach out and grab. For all of this, however, Give It Up is by far my favorite song on the disc. It's a statement of self-worth from a woman who knows who she is and what she wants. It's probably one of the best takes on this subject since R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

No Strength takes a deep angst, partners it with a wonderful hook and some amazing rhythmic guitar playing and turns into a highly memorable song. Wilcox explores the utter surprise and wonderment of a person taken out of their normal element and caught on the Canadian Prairies for a time, while Jerusalem addresses the need for an inner spiritual or philosophical life. It's an interesting tune that uses Jerusalem as an allegory for this spiritual destination, and comes off sounding like a classic Indigo Girls tune. Settle For Grey is a subject most artists touch on at some point in their career, the loss of clear black and white in choices that seems to occur over a lifetime. It's a moralist message that's decidedly amoral, and an intriguing epilogue for Luft.

Luft is an extremely talented songwriter, encapsulating person, time and place with the skill and temerity of Randy Newman. Vocally she's up there with the best, and the musical arrangements here are anything but typical. Luft sounds like she's still challenging herself on each song, and enjoying it in the process. The Light Fantastic is a terrific listen. Luft is a master songwriter and performer. You don't want to be without this disc.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cara Luft at http://www.caraluft.com/ or www.myspace.com/caraluftmusic. You can purchase a copy of The Light Fantastic at www.cdbaby.com/cd/caraluft.

Review: Spirit Of The West - Spirituality: 1983 - 2008

Spirit Of The West – Spirituality: 1983 – 2008
2008, Rhino Records (Canada)

Spirit Of The West celebrated their 25th year in 2008 with the release of Spirituality: 1983-2008, a 2-CD collection of some of their best material from across the years with two new songs thrown in for good measure. Spirit Of The West has traversed Canada many times over the years, and to a lesser degree the United States and Europe. Starting out as a Celtic folk group, the sound has evolved over twenty-five years into a more refined pop/rock/Celtic blend, but Spirit Of The West never forgot their roots. Where you are a long-time fan of Spirit Of The West, a passing acquaintance, or even if you’ve never heard of them before, Spirituality offers much to enjoy and needs to be on your “get” list.

For the fans of Celtic and Scot songs, Spirit Of The West brings much from their glorious past to Spirituality. Doin’ Quite Alright, The Crawl, The Old Sod and Home For A Rest all fit the bill quite nicely. Home For A Rest has been consistently ranked by Canadian music fans as one of the top Canadian New Rock songs of all time. Of course, Spirit Of The West had a distinct social conscience in their music as well. Political, their first real hit, is an amazing song about the imbalance in a relationship caused by an insecure or controlling partner. Long time fans will be happy to know that the original version of Political (from Labour Day) is offered here. (Putting Up With) The Joneses is a tongue in cheek look at the sort of damage socioeconomic elitism can lead to; even touching on the social taboo of Eugenics.

Spirit Of The West happens to have written one of the most amazing songs I’ve ever heard, and it’s included here. Take It From The Source takes on bigotry and hatred with a velvet glove lined with iron. The pen is mightier than the sword by far in this moving and powerful personal answer to one of the darker elements of human nature. Take It From The Source, like Spirit Of The West themselves, should be a lot better known than it is.

You can hear the progression from Celtic folk group to rock band occurring throughout Disc One of Spirituality, with Save This House being the first sign that something’s afoot. By the time we get to songs like Goodbye Grace, D Is For Democracy (Scour The House) and Big Head, Spirit Of The West have achieved a true pop rock sound while still heavily influenced by their Celtic roots. Disc Two completes the transition, with five tracks from the Michael Phillip Wojewoda produced Faithlift ((And If) Venice Is Sinking; Sadness Grows; Bone Of Contention; Death On The Beach and Is This Where I Come In). Faithlift was Spirit Of The West’s best selling album with a fair amount of cross-exposure on soundtracks, TV, etc. The instrumentation and arrangements still suggest their roots, but the production values are the pure pop genius Wojewoda has long been capable of.

Unplugged continues the run of social commentary in an upbeat song about Euthanasia and the right to die. Delivered with a wry smile, Unplugged has deep philosophical roots in the right of individuals to determine their own fate. Wishing Line and Our Ambassador find Spirit Of The West at the nadir of their pop/rock sound, almost wholly distinct from where they started out. The album was Weights and Measures, and while offering up songs wholly in the rock realm, Spirit Of The West offered distinct nods to the “old” sound with Canadian Skye and Rites Of Man.

Spirituality also features two brand new tracks, the moody Winter’s Now The Enemy and the raucous Another Happy New Year. The two tracks reflect the two musical aspects of Spirit Of The West wonderfully well. You’ll find yourself wrapped up in the tension and beauty of the former and wanting to dance to latter (preferably with some Guinness or some grog).

Spirit Of The West has built a vibrant and varied catalog over the last quarter century. Too prolific and profound to ignore, the band continues to be a hit at live shows across Canada. The days of endless touring long behind them, Spirit Of The West are content continuing to make great music their way; in their own time and fashion. They still tour, and will commence a tour of Eastern Canada with Great Big Sea on March 11, 2009. While Spirit Of The West was a major label act at one time, they have always carried themselves with an Indie Spirit, and their music is a testament to that. Spirituality is a collection of some of their best moments, but there is much good material not represented. (Noticeably absent is anything from their fine album Open Heart Symphony, as well as my personal favorite song from Faithlift, Sincerely Yours), but a collection of this sort should inspire you to look (and listen) deeper; leaving some nuggets behind for the ardent listener to be rewarded with. With all that’s here, Spirituality can be nothing other than a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc. It’s an absolute must-have.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Spirit Of The West at http://www.sotw.ca/. You can purchase Spirituality at CDUniverse.com. You will find it Amazon.com but will pay $15 more. Be sure to check out Spirit Of The West’s web page and particularly the individual members’ blogs on that site. John Mann, Geoffrey Kelly, Hugh McMillan, Vince Ditrich and Tobin Frank all have long musical histories that include solo albums or albums with other bands as well numerous guest appearances over the years.

Artist Feature: Spirit Of The West

Spirit Of The West is the Wildy’s World Artist Of The Month for January of 2009. They’ve been making great music for 25 years, starting out in 1983 as a Vancouver folk trio named Evesdropper. Original members Geoffrey Kelly, John Mann and J. Knutson built a sound steeped in Celtic musical traditions that defined Spirit Of The West's early years and is evident on the first two albums, Spirit Of The West (self-released, 1984) and Tripping Up The Stairs (Stony Plain Records, 1986). Knutson left after Tripping Up The Stairs to be replaced by Linda McRae and current member Hugh McMillan. The band's third release, Labour Day (Stony Plain, 1988) contained the hit single Political. This commercial splash led to the band signing with Warner Canada and releasing Save This House, which spawned two popular singles (Save This House and Home For A Rest)

As Spirit Of The West faced the onset of the 1990's, there was a desire in the band to expand their sound. They were inspired to branch out while touring England with The Wonder Stuff; wanting to fill concert halls with sound the way The Wonder Stuff did. Consequently Vince Ditrich was pressed into service. With a new drummer and a new sound, Spirit Of The West marched forward with Go Figure in 1991. Go Figure saw both a broadening of Spirit Of The West's popular appeal as well as the estrangement of some longtime fans that were unhappy with the move from folk to rock. A prime point of comparison is offered on Go Figure, as Spirit Of The West's first hit single, Political was reinterpreted here as a rock song. Disgruntled fans actually went so far as to present the band with a petition at one point during the tour supporting Go Figure demanding Spirit Of The West play the original version of Political.


1993 was a commercial plateau for Spirit Of The West. It began with the selection of Canadian super-producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda (also responsible for the Barenaked Ladies' Gordon). The resulting album, Faithlift completed the transition from folk band to mainstream rock band and sparked the band's biggest single, And If Venice Is Sinking. Spirit Of The West had other radio singles from Faithlift, including Sadness Grows and 5 Free Minutes. The marriage of Spirit Of The West with Wojewoda brought out the best in both.

Spirit Of The West returned in 1995 with Two-Headed, a darker, more mature effort that succeeded in artistry but failed to have the commercial legs of Faithlift. In 1996, Spirit Of The West released Open Heart Symphony with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Perhaps the most stunning and courageous recording of their career, Open Heart Symphony was a collection of original songs written for the symphony performance, rather than a recapitulation of hits with orchestral arrangements. If fans and critics weren't aware of it before then, it became rapidly clear that Spirit Of The West had something special going for them in the song craft department.

1997 saw Spirit Of The West transplant themselves to England, and Martin Barre's personal studio for the recording of Weights & Measures. Guests included Barre (Jethro Tull); Karen Matheson and Donald Shaw (Capercaille); Ric Sanders (Fairport Convention); Martin Bell (The Wonderstuff) and Duncan Moss (Page & Plant, Shave The Monkey). Weights and Measures revived some of the Celtic roots of Spirit Of The West while continuing the development of their sound that began with Go Figure. Production was again handled by Michael Phillip Wojewoda.

A seven year hiatus saw band members pursue other musical projects, acting gigs and just living semi-normal lives, but Spirit Of The West returned in 2004 with Star Trails, a well written and performed album that received positive critical response but unfortunately just did not have significant commercial presence.

Along the way there have been three compilations of Spirit Of The West Material. 1989's Old Material: 1984-1986 captures live performances of songs from the ill-fated indie debut (which is long out of print) as well as early concert favorites. 1999's Hit Parade is your proto-typical Best Of collection featuring three unreleased songs from the Open Heart Symphony recordings. In 2008, Rhino Records Canada released Spirituality: A Consummate Compendium (1983-2008). This two-disc set captures highlights of the band's twenty-five year collective history, including rare tracks and two new songs produced by the aforementioned Michael Phillip Wojewoda. Not unsurprisingly the album peaked at #10 on the iTunes Canadian charts.

Spirit Of The West was inducted into the Western Canadian Music Association Hall of Fame in 2008, recognition of twenty-five years of ground breaking music as one of the pre-eminent alt-rock acts in Canada. For 2009, big things are planned, including a new studio album, a live DVD, and a recasting of the Open Heart Symphony shows. We are working on getting a review of Spirituality up this month, and hopefully a review of the new album (and maybe even the live DVD) as they are released this year. On a personal note, Spirit Of The West have long been one of my favorite bands, and it is with great pleasure that we present them as our January 2009 Artist Of The Month.

You can learn more about Spirit of The West at http://www.sotw.ca/ or www.myspace.com/spiritothewest.

Review: The Killdares - Secrets Of The Day

The Killdares - Secrets Of The Day
2008, The Killdares

The Killdares aren't quite like anyone you've heard. You like Celtic music? check. You like a big rock sound? check. Grand master violin playing? check. Screaming bagpipes? check. Wailing electric guitar? check. A lead singer on drums? Got that too. The Dallas based quintet sets hearts and minds atwitter with their mind blowing mix of sounds and styles both in the studio and on stage. Traditional Celtic fans even fall in line for a Killdares show. On their fifth independent release, Secrets Of The Day, The Killdares even add a dark electronic element to their sound. It's an expansion on rather than a deviation from their sound. Prepare to be blown away.

The Killdares mix of Celtic and Rock is unusual but not unique. Several bands have done so over the years, most notably The Pogues, who mixed Celtic and Punk quite nicely. Other fine examples include Captain Tractor, Spirit Of The West, Great Big Sea and Seven Nations. If you enjoy any of these groups then there's a strong likelihood you'll love the Killdares. Rip-roaring bagpipes, searing violin and the strong vocals of Tim Smith make everything the Killdares touch turn to gold. Secrets Of The Day opens with Seasons, a strong, steady rocker with a memorable melody and great hooks. Closer Than You Know brings a big guitar sound and a delicious duet between pipes (Matt Willis) and violin (Roberta Rast). This song will get you moving in a big way and is likely to be a big time concert favorite.

Hold My Heart is a rock ballad with Celtic heritage and crunchy guitars. The Killdares just have this knack for creating very catchy arrangements that make you want to get up and dance. Long Island High is a must for jig fans. Irish jigs to a Rock N Roll beat -- need I say more? Be sure to check out Disappear, one of the more introspective and beautiful songs on the album. It's followed up by Along Came You, a delicious musical construct that leaves the listener picturing a lone horse and rider crossing a plain from the far horizon to here. The melody of Along Came You is inspired; it's a rock ballad that will be major mix tape material and has a great pipes solo to boot. Secrets Of The Day may just be my favorite song on the album. Guitar, pipes and violin intertwine to build a driving rock song that you won't be able to get out of your head. Other highlights include Glasgow, Push, Speak To Me and Rose De Lay.

The Killdares are the sort of band that do not come along often. The marriage of traditional Celtic style and Rock N Roll is a powerful one when done right, and the Killdares are definitely doing it right. They are an exciting band to listen on CD; I can't even imagine the intensity of a live show, but I bet its worth the time and money. Secrets Of The Day is a monster disc. It's a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc, and a must for fans of Celtic music or Rock N Roll. Don't pass this one by.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

To learn more about the Killdares check out http://www.killdares.com/, where you can purchase a physical copy or a download of Secrets Of The Day.