A few weeks ago, I saw an ad on Instagram that caught my eye. Normally, I am pretty impervious to advertising. I actively try to avoid it as much as possible so as to not have too many thneeds in my life. I already have plenty. Anyway, this ad that caught my attention was for an upcoming album of yule/christmas music by a group singing in close harmony. I loved the little excerpt I could hear in the ad and decided to investigate further. (Specifically, the ad said they would be singing a 16th century Christmas carol about Satan in a dead language and I was all in. That probably tells you what you need to know about both me and this band.)
The band is Windborne. They sing in close harmony, sometimes with instrumental accompaniment but mostly without. There are 14 songs on the album that I listened to, Of Hard Times and Harmony. My favorite songs were probably the first and the last tracks. The first song, "Lady of the Harbor, actually brought tears to my eyes. Many of the songs carried a political message and, while I certainly agree with their politics, I found the lyrics to be a little blunt and too on the nose. However, the sound of the album was just beautiful. (After listening to the album, I discovered that it is a collection of "songs of reflection and action from movements for social and environmental justice". I would say that they did what they set out to do then. Carry on.) One of the things that I really appreciated about the album was that they took an older style of music and used it to sing about modern life. That is how to keep something alive and relevant. I just love that they do this.
I am very intrigued by their upcoming winter album, To Warm the Winter Hearth, and will most likely purchase the album, which comes with a book containing beautiful art. I love folk music and traditions and am eager to learn more from this group.
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