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Reviews: Sytek and Davies ~ From the Shadow of the Citadel
Posted on Saturday, June 03, 2006 @ 04:34:53 PDT
Topic: Reviews
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Artist: Sytek and Davies
CD: From the Shadow of the Citadel
Home: Lawrence, Michigan
Style: Progressive Acoustic/Fusion Folk
Quote: "The flute runs like blood through the veins of this CD, giving it a tight and thematic sound."
By Catherine L. Tully
While the sprite-style flute and somewhat experimental nature of this CD begs the "Jethro Tull" comparison, there are also other genres calling forth in this album. You can hear definite folk roots, as well as a Celtic sound or two here and there, making for an interesting and versatile effort.
Jane Sytek is quite a skilled singer, and she sweeps through the notes effortlessly, and yet my personal favorites are the tracks in which Rick Davies takes the lead. Although perhaps not as accomplished as his band partner, his voice has such a comfortable sound that I could listen to fifty tracks with him singing and still not tire of it. Sometimes sounding like an old friend telling stories is a quality that really works. He almost sounds like Cat Stevens, but not quite as silky smooth -- a little rough around the edges.
Track 4, "Avatar," has a particularly Celtic feel and transports you, giving one the feeling of being deep in the magical woodlands with mythical creatures. Very pretty.
The flute runs like blood through the veins of this CD, giving it a tight and thematic sound. I preferred the simple songs to the ones that were more experimental -- they seemed to flow a little better. Occasionally the more complex songs lost that feeling, trying a bit too hard to fill the song with sound and words.
Check out track 9, "Dancing With the Flutemaker." An instrumental track that alternates between only a few instruments, it is a pleasure on the ears. It almost has an Asian feel, breaking a bit from the rest of the songs, but not in a bad way.
You can't call this 12-track CD typical, but that is just why it is worth listening to. If you love the flute, this is a great way to experience it, and the variety of song styles has something for nearly every taste.
http://www.sytekdavies.com
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