“Unshackled” by SloanWolfe

OH WOW!! You know that feeling when you hear something great, something that touches your soul. For me, it’s  the pipes! These guys are great. It’s just the thing that my wicked, weary and over-taxed soul needs.

Lars Sloan (pipes), Bryan Blaylock (other great noises), Jimmy Michell (pipes), Mark Sullivan, Matthew Williams (percussion), Robin Sloan and WooDee Gallegos (guitar and bass) create unique and recreate traditional sounds that inspire and move. And there is the one, “Fireside,” where they slow their playful sides.

This is the cure for the youngster in the car next to you playing that thumping rap song far too loud. Turn these guys on and crank them up. Show that youngster what great music is. I do this with several songs that I love.

For as short as it is, “Howler on the Bodhran” is great. They could have gone on for thirty minutes and it would be fine with me. I guess it’s the goose bumps I get, and the feeling of being taken back to a time when there were more things to be happy about than there were sad and depressing things. Then there’s the shadow pipes SloanWolfe does that gets you just in the right spot, and the goose bumps start all over again. I love it! But I have to say that my favorite is “Desert Storm.” I love how they seamlessly folded in several bars of America the Beautiful to push their point through to a valiant conclusion.

You will find, as I did, that these musicians can weave a tale of woe, happiness and triumph without even saying a word. When you buy this CD, and you should right now, you’ll see what I talking about. Enjoy, and thanks Sloan Wolfe. Wait ‘till the guys at work here it… I’ll only give them a taste, so they’ll go buy the CD.

Artist: SloanWolfe
Buy Album: Unshackled

Hometown: Houston, Texas
Similar Artists: The Clancy Brothers, The Corries, Celtic Thunder, The Rogues, Albannach, Tartanic, Jiggernaut

Written by Don Dyer, for the Celtic Music Magazine. Don Dyer is a professional watercolor artist, author, and book cover designer who lives and works in New Mexico. See some of my work at www.dyerinks.com. Find me on facebook.

Tags: Albannach, bag pipes, band, bass, Bryan Blaylock (other great noises), celtic music, Celtic Thunder, Celtic traditions, drums, guitar, houston texas, Irish folk music, Irish Music, jiggernaut, Jimmy Michell (pipes), Lars Sloan (pipes), Mark Sullivan, Matthew Williams (percussions), Robin Sloan, storytelling, tartanic, The Clancy Brothers, The Corries, The Rogues, WooDee Gallegos (guitar and bass)

This entry was posted on January 17, 2012 at 11:11 am and is filed under CD Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.