Search - Nightnoise :: Something of Time

A Time-less Masterpiece

C. Ward | Lebanon, OH USA | 01/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although every one of the Nightnoise albums feature some unforgettable pieces, this one in particular will haunt you. I don't know how they manage to evoke the emotion and reflective mood, but it is nothing short of magic. They are weaving an etherial tapestry, these muses, and those of us who have been captured in the weaving of it are forever entranced by the lyric cadence of their poetry. They are not only ambassadors of the Celtic people, but from another place in time.
And they do take you there.
This album in its entirety takes you where you cannot go on your own. You seem to feel at the end of it as if you have been their time-travelling companion.
To this end, and for your gift, we are forever in your debt, Nightnoise."

Delicious

Javier Navas | Milenrama, Madrid | 06/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Maybe the best Nightnoise work along with 'Parting Tide' and 'At the End of the Evening', this is a highly evocative collection of moody and reflective Celtic, instrumental themes full of subtleness, technical quality and high spiritual pretentions, resulting in the sweetest and most magical soft music you've ever heard. The opener 'Timewinds' is a very uplifting tune in the very mood of Mike Oldfield, if leaded by superb fiddle by Billy Oskay, sadly out of the band now. 'Perchance to Dream' is one of the softest and purest melodies you'll ever hear and grey and misty 'Hourglass' recalls the passing of time in a little Irish country village, with a sense of joy and hope at the end. 'Tundra Summer' sounds ominous and transcendental and 'I Still Remember' sounds adventurous and full of feeling. 'Something of Time' is maybe second to 'The Parting Tide' in bringing subtle and extremely beautiful sounds to your ears. Still a very deep work but not as much as 'At the End of The Evening'. Maybe that's its good thing, the balance between deepness and objective quality. It is a piece of art indicated for romantics and smooth instrumental likers."

Elegant jazz with Celtic flavor and New Age sensibility

Brianna Neal | USA | 09/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A winding road through complex improvisations, experimental rhythms and irregular phrasing, "Something of Time" is a sophisticated and interesting fusion album. Primarily mellow and moody in tone, this CD nonetheless falls closer to the jazz or modern classical end of the spectrum than the New Age, and is "Celtic" only by virtue of the fact that some of the instruments and musicians are Irish. The duo of Billy Oskay on violin, and Micheal O Domhnaill on guitars and keyboards weaves a subtle, magic spell with their freeform compositions, often enhanced by the flutes and whistles of Brian Dunning. Keyboardist Triona Ni Dhomhnaill, later to become a regular with the group, appears here in only one song. The meandery, jazzy unpredictability of this music is what makes it fascinating, though at times this quality can also render it a little unapproachable and hard to relax to. If you're looking for simple, boring music to lull you into a meditative state, this definitely isn't it, and likewise don't look here for traditional Celtic favorites. But for a unique and elegantly honest statement of creative imagination, "Something of Time" is a good pick. I especially enjoy the group's use of harpsichord and exploration of its different voicings in #9, the reflective "Apres-Midi." For more gentle, innovative, intelligent fusion music, try the other albums of Nightnoise, as well as those by Orion, Maggie Sansone, and Axiom of Choice. And for another take on integrating the harpsichord into modern music, check out "Fresh Aire IV" by Mannheim Steamroller.

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