Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Based in the borders of Scotland, this is the band's second album and the first one to contain all their own material. Main songwriters Alistair Salmond and Fiona Craig can certainly pen a nice tune and the album is a mixture of folk and Celtic influences and instrumentation. Fiddle, flute and sax flavourings combine with complex harmonies throughout and the overall effect is pleasant. Without a huge budget they have produced an album with much to commend it but I am left the feeling that half way through the album it begins to blur a little due to the sameness of the arrangements. That small criticism aside, Chrysalis should be commended for their efforts in developing their own material and recording a quality album on a low budget. There are a couple of epic tunes, "The 96th" and "Praise Dance" are both about 11 minutes long, the latter breaking out into a wonderful Celtic folk dance with will have you tapping your feet! If you like to chill out to gentle tuneful folky Celtic stuff jammed with harmonies then this will be 60 minutes of bliss for you.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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