The pan-Celtic supergroup released their third album a year ago but only now I finally got to listening to it.
The big revelation this time was that there was no revelation: Ímar are just as brilliant on Awakening as they have been on their previous albums, and their style is pretty much unchanged since the last time around.
And no wonder, perhaps, since all five of them must have their hands full with their respective bands: Talisk, RURA, Mànran, Mec Lir… It’s a small wonder they find time to do anything together as a band.
But they seem to find that time and they come up with music that’s wonderfully energetic, entertaining and loaded with virtuoso musicianship that’s not only in the dazzling playing but in the tunes themselves.
Consider, for instance, the latter half of the opening tune Bangers. There’s so much going on rhythmically that I, as a lifelong drummer, got pretty excited by all the twists and turns, especially the outright devious use of syncopation that drives the piece to the edge of progressive folk.
Or, as another example, the brilliant arrangement on Eoghainn’s: just marvel at how the five-piece band’s musical palette brings out colors and shades almost like a chamber music ensemble.
As per usual, the Ímar buffet table is mostly filled with tunes fast and faster, but there are some calmer moments as well. Imagine a World is a piece that touches my soul, the sound of humanity’s better angels clearly present. IMHO, it sweeps the floor with another, much older, famous song about imagining a world – and Ímar don’t need one single word to get the point across.
So thank you, messrs Amini, Callister, Murphy, Rhodes and Brown, for another grand release. Here’s looking forward to #4 – and I won’t mind a bit if you just keep on doing what you’ve been doing so far.
FolkNotes 