Search - Shooglenifty :: Solar Shears

Music and sound: SUPERB - technically: small OH-OH

Captain Hank | FL USA | 12/04/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This Scottisch band got me off my feet this morning at 9 am. which is unusual. I am not "awake" after 3 cups of coffee, but I was dancing already on their very catchy beats while MAKING my coffee. I love the fact, that no synths were used. Acoustical instruments instead give a very different flavor than synths over the heavy bass and drums. Yes there are many samples used and I am sure a great deal of studio production. Some of the tunes will be hard to reproduce live, unless they use recordings at their shows.
One technical flaw crept in on this CD. It seems that a few seconds pause have been inserted between many songs that should have faded in one another. You clearly hear the end of the previous song hang over in the next even after a full 2 second break. (it is not my CD player, I tested this on several others with the same result).
Nonetheless, the music on this CD is what counts and it is fresh and original. I recommend this CD to everyone who likes music that is a nice mix of today's dance beats with traditional instruments. It best can be described as "Fat Boy Slim Goes Country"."

A unique gem of an album for open minded music fans

bradbooks | Nova Scotia, Canada | 08/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was first introduced to Shooglenifty by my girlfriend, who is a huge fan. I enjoyed "Whiskey Kiss" but was blown away by "Solar Shears". Solar Shears manages to fuse rock, funk, techno, jazz and traditional celtic into a seamless blend. It is an upbeat album that can keep you toe-tappping throughout the day.I am not a huge fan of traditional Celtic music, but find the more traditional tracks such as "Bjork's Chauffeur" very catchy.I was particularly impressed with "Rod's Doorway" that uses an electrified slide guitar for a very unique sound. I am also a big fan of the banjax on "Hijab" and the distinctly russian sounding "Igor's".Buy this album! You won't regret it."

A trad-lover's guilty pleasure!

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 03/08/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Super-modernist pop-fusion/techno/world beat Celtic material, but also pretty playful and fun, once you're willing to get on their wavelength. These Scottish fellas play breakdowns and reels with drum machines and synth-sounding sonic washes buoying the fiddle's rasp, and endow their songs titles like "Bjork's Chauffeur" and "The Hijab" (one of several tunes that have a sort of an Arabic tinge...) True traditionalists will loathe such experiments, but for anyone looking for creative approaches to defining a modern, new Celtic sound, this is certainly worth checking out. Similar in approach to Germany's Dissidenten (though perhaps a bit smoother in execution ); imaginative and consistently engaging."