Indian Summer - Crown Of Creation

Tuesday 1st December 1998
Indian Summer - Crown Of Creation

STYLE: Roots/Acoustic
RATING 3 3 3
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 11966-CAS2275
LABEL: Independent
FORMAT: Cassette Album

Reviewed by Dancin' Dave Derbyshire

Annie and Jon Bamforth aka Indian Summer describe themselves as a funky folk group who specialise in Medieval, Irish and other traditional styles of music with a bit of contemporary music thrown in. They name Clannad among their influences. But I found some of their original lyrics to be accompanied by less than original musical arrangements. Unfortunately Annie's shrill voice made it a little hard to get the most out of the songs and occasionally the mixing made it difficult to clearly decipher all the lyrics. The title song tells of how God sees us as the "Crown Of Creation" and so builds us up in times of trouble. "Mad Mary" tells the story of the resurrection from Mary Magdalene's viewpoint, out of whom Jesus drove seven demons. "Song Of The Cross" depicts Jesus' twisted body with his bloody crown of thorns. Sometimes though Annie's delicate voice is swamped by the keyboard and other instruments. This is particularly noticeable in "Streams Of Babylon". This is a pity since the lyrics adapted from Psalm 137 are excellent. Other tracks involve some traditional folk sounds including some mournful numbers. But again, I'm sorry to say these are hampered by the performance: indistinct vocals against a bed of jangling guitar strings. These are interspersed with the odd brighter song and the occasional beautiful arrangement of Latin chants backed by tambourines and mandolin. Annie and Jon are at their weakest when they attempt more familiar hymns and choruses.

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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