I was already aware when their new album dropped. But I haven’t caught the blogging momentum yet at the time. But things have changed lately.
This is HUGE because any Altan release is always worth celebrating and talking about. While most bands in their category have either stopped recording or changed direction musically, they remain obstinate in their passion and vision. They’re like a home you want to come home to when all the world’s in chaos.
Thirteen tunes comprise The Gab of Dreams. Here’s the blurb taken from their release:
“After thirty years of playing on stages all over the world from Dublin to New York, Tokyo to Sydney, premier traditional Irish band, Altan came back to the hills of Donegal to record their new album, The Gap Of Dreams. The 13 tracks transport the listener to the lifestyle of rural Donegal, to a time before electricity when folks would gather together in the mists of winter to tell stories, sing songs and dance into the wee hours of the night. The music lifted the locals’ spirits and helped elevate them beyond the hardships of the day like famine, conflict and emigration.”
rewarded with an eclectic collection that sound so fresh. But the track that really stands out is this one called Ages past, Ages Hence. Although this is not her typical sound, it is not surprising given her theatrical background. It has a vivacious operatic melody accentuating her vocal gifts. Dark in its subject matter yet playful in its delivery; it’s probably her best track in years:
