Genre/Influences: Ethereal, pagan-folk.

Background/Info: Joy Shannon is an Irish artist based in the US. I got the opportunity to discover her with an album (cf. “The Oracle”) released on Kalinkaland Records. The band has already released multiple productions and is now back on track with this new opus featuring 13 songs. The songs have been separated in 3 chapters, but in the end you get a real compact work.

Content: Driven by Celtic-Pagan and Irish neo-folk Joy Shannon And The Beauty Marks is a first of all a collective revealing a truly passion for authentic instruments like Celtic harp, cello, guitar ao. It injects a real warm sensation into the music, creating this authentic feeling. It also is a composition which stands for emotions such as sadness. You can feel the melancholia driven by the magic sound of the instruments.

Next to the multiple instruments you also will discover ethereal vocals. Joy Shannon is a multi-instrumentalist and singer, but she got the help of guest singers and musicians.

+ + + : I always have liked the magic and authenticity of real instruments and that’s what this artist stands for. Emotions have been transposed by the simple power of instruments, which have been played with passion and grace. You get the impression of a soundtrack getting imaginary visions of reverie. But the songs also reveal a darker side ending in melancholia. This band makes me think to troubadours of the modern times. The music has been composed with grace and delicacy and I especially recommend the second part of the work.

– – – : The first part reveals easy listening songs, but I didn’t notice that many highlights. So there’s a kind of discrepancy between some of the chapters, but especially the debut songs are less convincing while the final part is absolutely remarkable.

Conclusion: Joy Shannon And The Beauty Marks stands for sonic poetry! Music becomes a tender caress to make forget all your pain although driven by some melancholia.

Best songs: “Folkvang”, “Grey Havens”, “Valhallavägen”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www.joyshannonandthebeautymarks.com / www.facebook.com/JoyShannonandtheBeautyMarks

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Ethereal, goth-folk, cinematographic.

Content: Joy Shannon And The Beauty Marks took us by surprise some 2 years ago now with the outstanding “Oracle”-album. Joy Shannon is a real talented Irish multi-instrumentalist who’s playing Celtic harp, cello and harmonium. She also sings in an ethereal way.

I’m not familiar with the early work of this band, but “Oracle” was a kind of revelation for its global artistic beauty and creativity. “No Anam Cara” is the 6th full length by Joy Shannon who got some help from several guest musicians. The work has been defined in very different ways, but I think we might speak about a mix of heavenly voices, goth and folk plus a sensitive cinematographic approach. The main inspiration behind this fascinating sound mixture appears to be Pagan themes so in the end we might speak about a real open-minded and eclectic band.

“The Winds Of Hel” sounds like a sweet and tender musical caress carried by captivating en evasive vocals. “Samhan” coming next sounds a bit different and definitely darker in style. The cello injects a kind of freaky and somewhat ‘haunted-house’ touch to the work. But the fusion of Joy Shannon’s harp and beautiful vocals rapidly bring us back to pure evasive passages like the brilliant “Midwinter Ghost” and the passionate “Midsummer Witch Hunt.” Some of the songs make me think of a kind of cabaret performance while “The Fires Of Beltaine” is more into a cinematographic approach. I here like the kind of elegy emerging to the surface while the female backing vocals inject some extra volume.

The harp definitely is the main instrument of this work creating the unique sound of this artist, but the guitar also is a very essential ingredient. I like the very special way of playing the guitar which has been mixed more in the background. It sounds a bit experimental and at the same time adding a kind of obscure touch in the background. The only regret I have is that I would have liked to hear some more cello parts, which is probably because it’s one of my personal favorite instruments. The album however ends in a kind of sad reverie style with the great cello parts on “Mabon: Airmid Bring Back the Dead”.

Conclusion: Joy Shannon is a very talented multiple-instrument artist. “Mo Anam Cara” sounds like pure sound poetry and is a beautiful sound trip, which I can only but highly recommend.

Best songs: “Midwinter Ghost”, “Midsummer witch Hunt”, “The Winds Of Hell”, “Mabon: Airmid Bring Back the Dead”.

Rate: (Elise Din:8)Elise Din.

Band: www.joyshannonandthebeautymarks.com / www.facebook.com/JoyShannonandtheBeautyMarks

Label: www.triplegoddessrecords.com

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com