"Celtic" and "lounge" are two words that, when put together in this context, tend to lower one's expectations. And if you're looking for chilled-out renditions of actual Celtic music, then you will indeed find this album fairly disappointing. But if all you need is a dreamy, faintly emerald-tinted ambience that occasionally evokes Celtic tradition in a glancing sort of way, then the third installment in the Sequoia label's
Celtic Lounge series will fit the bill nicely. Where there are lyrics, they should generally be ignored (note in particular the pretty but deeply silly "Fairy Nightsongs"), and it's also a good idea to try to ignore the
Tolkien references in song titles like "On the Road to Rivendell" and artist monikers like
Gandalf. But when producers David Gordon and
Steve Gordon cross to the other side of the studio glass and play compositions of their own, the results are invariably quite lovely, and
Gary Stadler's "Spinnee" and
7and5's "Whispering in the Trees" are both exceptionally so. If nothing stands out as especially impressive, it's probably because the point is gentle tunefulness, not conspicuous virtuosity. Recommended for its intended purpose. ~ Rick Anderson