Circle of Bards: Tales

Circle of Bards initially started life as a side project for Mariusz Migalka, who has played with such bands as Active Mind, Mr. Hyde and Dragon Slayer, and sounds remarkably different ot anything else he has been involved with. Acoustic guitar rules the day, along with Migalka's voice and while both are backed on occasion by bass, flute, percussion and the odd guitar solo from Marcin Krol, the album revolves around the easy acoustic strumming and unforced steady vocals.

There have been many comparisons made of Circle of Bards to Blackmore's Night and while that is probably the most convenient parallel to draw, the Celtic themes that run through all the songs here are less bombastic and thigh slapping than Ritchie and his merry men. That said if a bit of what Blackmore's Night produce is right up your street, then this simpler slice of folk should also be to your taste.

Migalka is a skilled craftsman with the acoustic guitars always being joyously melodic and perfect for his simple, if effective vocal delivery. However the only real complaint is more to do with the lack of diversity between the songs than any dip in quality. The gently plucking of "Czarne Smoki" and "When The Bard Sings" are beautiful lilting pieces, while the fuller assault of "My Magic Song" creates a simple, yet moving melody. The lyrics are all fantasy based, with a couple of the songs being sung in Polish and as long as that neither of those facts put you off, then this is a gently interesting album.

This is the sort of music that I could only listen to from time to time, with the fragile outlook of the songs being a little too one dimensional for everyday listening. However it is well put together and impressively played making "Tales" a welcome change of pace, while possessing a huge amount of charm.

Track Listing
1. Welcome
2. The Magic Gong
3. Scarlet Moon
4. Fighting The Dragons
5. Our Own Land
6. Czarne Smoti
7. Bridges We Shall Pass
8. Teczoron Most
9. When The Bard Sings
10. Circle of Bards
11. Farewell

Added: October 17th 2010
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Circle Of Bards online
Hits: 1378
Language: english

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