by Ross Boissoneau
There's an ever-increasing amount of Celtic material available, ranging from tunes straight from the pubs of Dublin to vaguely Irish-sounding new age material. This is one of the more otherworldly combinations, a musical stew combining authentic Celtic instrumentation alongside modern instruments, all banded together in a set of easily accessible instrumentals. There's even a cover of Sting's pop hit "Fields of Gold." But don't be fooled -- just because the music is accessible doesn't mean it is pablum. This is engaging, listenable music that conveys the Celtic feel as much as discs by Clannad, the Bothy Band or more traditional Irish groups. It's just a more '90s approach, with the alluring photos of harpist Lynne and even her e-mail address listed (
harpgirl@aol.com
) serving as marketing tools as much as the music.