Everchanging Tides

Artist: Kristine Robin
Label: Cedar Tree Music
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 634479547928
EAN: 0634479547928
ASIN: B0001CVE84

Release Date: 2003-11-01

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Tracks:

Sacred Night
Dawn
Everchanging Tides
The Quiet Lands of Erin
One is the Sun
Hold Me
Seacht nDolas na Maighdine Muire (The Seven Sorrows of Mary)
Winds of Time
By Your Side
Tha Mi Sgith (A Faerie Love Song)
The Dark and Light
A-Hay, A-Ho (Thank You in Arapaho)

Customer Reviews:

Alchemy.......2005-10-15

Like any truly resonant work of art, this music not only evokes the experiences of the creator, but creates an alchemy in the mind of the audience, calling forth one's own dreams and memories. Many of these songs weave such strong moods that I can listen to them over and over.

"The Quiet Lands of Erin," one of my favorite tracks, is haunting and evocative. I have a lovely version on an old LP, but I prefer Kristine's new rendition. The simple sounds of water, birds, and the laughter of children set the scene of a pristine, isolated, rocky shore imprinted deep in the memory, and a love of place as romantic as any human love. The mournful harmonies of Kristine's voice and gentle, unobtrusive instrumentals fuse perfectly with the melancholy longing of the words.

In "One Is the Sun," the exotic drone of a didgeridoo quickly pulls you into a sort of child's rhyme/environmental prayer, combining the reassuring simplicity and soothing tunes of lullaby with all-too-observant words warning of the danger of our present path, as "two-hearted people," and a heartfelt Cheyenne prayer from Kristine's adoptive grandfather adding spiritual resonance.

"Winds of Time," my other favorite track, for me paints a strong, poignant picture, half imagination, half memory. The subtle percussion seems to echo raindrops on the window pane or crackling fire in the room behind, pressing one's face against the cool glass pane, looking out into a dim present scene and still seeing and feeling the emotion for a love from the past. Here again, a synthesis of mood, melody, instrumentation, and the meaning of the words show a true artist at work--one whose future creations I look forward to.

Reading some of these reviews reminds me once again of how subjective taste is, especially in the aesthetic area, and what it is I think a review should hopefully accomplish--point out the strengths and weaknesses of a work for the benefit of artist, but more particularly, for the audience. I.e., it is all very well to express one's love or hate for something, but more useful to help others figure out whether they will love or hate it.

The dislike of reviewers who criticize this lovely CD for being what it is, rather than something else, seems rather pointless to me, but I do agree with one thing: The best way to know if you will enjoy Kristine's music is to listen to the available audio samples before buying. In fact, I rarely buy a CD anymore if audio samples are not available. On Amazon, you can get free downloads of three of the songs that are fairly representative of the different types of music on this album--an original, contemporary piece (By Your Side), a Celtic piece (Quiet Lands of Erin), and an original, Native American-themed piece (Sacred Night). However, in my opinion, Sacred Night is not the strongest such piece on the album; the lyrics are not as interesting as in other original songs. I prefer One is the Sun (see detailed comments above) and the title piece, Everchanging Tides. Samples of more of the songs are also available at the CD Baby website, including those two, as well as Seacht n'Dolas na Maighdine Muire (The Seven Sorrows of Mary), one of the traditional Celtic songs sung in Gaelic. There is also more information available at the artist's website (which I accessed directly via CD Baby), including a link to a new online video to the song One is the Sun, which I also really enjoyed.

Amateurish.......2005-06-30

I was very, very disappointed in this CD. I bought it based upon the recommendations here at Amazon, but it makes me wonder....I recommend from now on to listen to a snippet before you buy. Her voice just sounded very, very amateurish to me. It sounded like so typically of somebody singing at a small town country fair. I wish her luck, but I think she will have an appeal to people looking for the same ol', same ol' small town overly trilled voice.

Exciting Discovery.......2005-06-07

There's something extraordinarily exciting about finding a new talent, especially in unexpected places. I first heard Kristine's voice at a Celtic faire and thought, "I love this woman's voice. I hope she records someday." Three or four years later, my wife brought home Kristine Robin's EVERCHANGING TIDES. My first thought after hearing it for the first time was, "This is surely a voice that was shaped by angels!" It was obvious that Kristine had matured and perhaps had some great voice training since I first heard her. This was far better than I remembered. There are several places in this CD where Kristine's solos soar exquisitely, and in soaring they carry me as if on wings. I dislike that overused word "transformative," but it accurately describes what I experience. Coming from many different influences, from Native American to Celtic, this CD has a special texture all its own--which may puzzle or even confuse some purists. But when you take this CD in as a whole, it actually showcases the wide range of a singer and song writer whose talent cannot be confined to any single tradition. My wife and I have purchased over 20 copies of this CD over the past year or so, to give to friends. All I ever hear is raves from the people who've received these gifts. If you are excited by discovering new talent, I highly recommend this artist. The production itself is highly professional in every way, from the cover to the notes to the recordering quality itself.

Enjoy the CD thoroughly.......2005-05-04

When I first heard this heartfelt and moving music, I was caught in it's spell. Taken as a whole I feel there is a healing quality to this debut work of art. The individual songs themselves transported me to so many different places; it reminds me of the musical lushness created by Peter Gabriel or Loreena McKennitt. (There are clips of all the songs on her website at KristineRobin.com.)

The CD is a mix of her influences: Native American inspired (Tracks- 1, 2, 5, & 12), Celtic (her overall vocals and there are 3 traditional pieces - tracks 3, 7, & 10), Appalachian (she uses a mountain dulcimer and the last song is arranged Appalachian style), and her own contemporary writing and compositions (All the tracks but 3, 7, & 10). The songs flow through the different styles or influences very nicely.

The CD booklet is a whole other world to explore, with images and stories to support the songs. It turns out the album is a personal look into some fascinating experiences the artist has had, which she shares with us. This is the case with the title track "Everchanging Tides." Here, the verses are actually different experiences she has had where simple events became poignant because of the amazing timing and interaction between people and the natural world. I got the chills after reading the story in the booklet and listening to it again.

After listening to the CD a few times, the words and melodies played over again and again in my head. I found the harmonies and voices haunting and captivating. The instrumentation throughout feels just right, whether it is her Appalachian lap dulcimer creating a magical undercurrent, her penny whistle creating soaring sensations, or the viola's rich voice speaking to us. I can really see the inspiration for the sense of moodiness she creates in "The Quiet Lands of Erin," having myself spent time in Scotland near where she lived. The whole CD creates a wonderful progression which I have listened to on headphones, enjoyed as background music during a small get together of friends, and even heard played over a PA at a business expo (strange but true.)

The overall feeling is gentle and moving. The songwriting is quite nice. The effect is a very healing one.

Just so you know, I am one of those people who love to listen to the words. Oh, by the way, I also got the lyrics through the music page on the artists website.

I enjoy the CD thoroughly.

Not the worst, not the best.......2005-03-28

There is really good Celtic music out there. This is not one of them. There is really bad Celtic music out there. This is not one of them. Well yeah there are some really bad songs you will just skip but there are a few songs I thought were okay. Still all things considered if I were to give a suggestion it would be to try something else.

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