Search - Devon, Darby :: Highlands

Myra S. (ignolopi) from SALT LAKE CTY, UT
Reviewed on 5/1/2011...

A delightful set of songs, each one with its own beauty. It's a CD you can play over and over again.

Bren H. (Breninithaca) from AURORA, NY
Reviewed on 9/15/2006...

This is a great album and I really wish she would do another one!

A More Organic Enya

d-moonshadow | 01/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To begin with, I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this CD. I had heard excellent reviews on it, but I was in the mood for more new-agey stuff and I wasn't sure if this would be more traditional stuff (not that there's anything wrong with that...). Well, to make a long story short, this CD is actually a mix between the two and it's DeVon's voice that makes it all stick together. The CD opens with "Highlands", a beautiful traditionally written piece but arranged in a modern style with rich pianos, fiddles and guitars with DeVon's high soprano soaring on top. "The Knight At Dublin Castle" tells the story of a knight and his love. Arranged similar to track one but slower in tempo, this song has a certain quality that gives me goosebumps everytime I listen. "Quest For Lia Fail" sounds like another version of "Highlands", but is a little more organic in its instrumentation and is still a very good song. "Passage To Iona" is a beautifully themed instrumental with recorders, strings and much more coming together in what seems exactly the right places. "Daydreams" is the song on this CD that sounds the most like Enya, with richly overdubbed harmonies and a slightly more synthesized sound. This song captured my heart and has NOT let it go. Beginning as an anthemic ballad but changing its tune into some sort of amalgam of Celtic rock and traditional jigs, "Oghma's Return" is probably the best instrumental cut on the CD, and it makes me want to dance everytime I hear it. "Valparaiso" is a heart-wrenching ballad originally written by Sting, and it shows off the low and high ranges of DeVon's voice. "Together We Fly" is another piece that features Enya-like vocals, but the song itself is more reminiscent of Clannad's work, with guitars, accoustic bass, accoustic drums and pianos. "Dance At Bealtaine" is a great piece of uplifting Celtic-pop with wordless vocalizations by DeVon over well-played guitar and piano melody lines. One of my favorites on the CD. The CD slows down for its next-to-last cut called "Magdalena". There are no vocals on this track, so all attention is focused on the instrumental melody-line, which is beautiful and haunting. This CD finishes up with a reprise of "Highlands", which throws some more electric elements into the mix, and extends it to past six minutes. A great way to send off the CD. I eagerly anticipate a follow-up, as this CD is easily one of the best in my collection."

Enchanting yet very powerful!!

classicmoviefan | Rancho Mirage, CA | 08/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I placed this CD in my player. I believed it would be wonderful, but when it began to play, the tears rolled down my cheeks. The music, though drawing from Celtic thematic texture and flavour, is at the same time, so powerful and lush. This music is bursting with melody, and joy. There is nothing depressing here. Thoughtful, introspective, and even dramatic, yet never threatening or trying to preach.... this is powerful music, and obviously inspired from within. I felt as though these melodies were ancient, yet they are mostly arranged in a haunting, and riveting style that is very fresh and contemporary. There is a certain amount of "Celtic" music today that may be considered "audio wallpaper", and there is certainly nothing wrong with that... that kind of music serves a wonderful purpose... but the music from this artist is very different.. you want to listen to it. You are hypnotized by this young woman's riveting voice, whether she is singing lyrics ("Daydreams" is totally dynamic lyrically), or she sings in vocalise, which she executes with great fluidity. I have now played this disc for the 3rd time in a row.... all this listener can say is "Bravo, Darby"... looking forward to many more like this! This disc is a perfect 10 and will become one of my favorite Christmas presents to friends this year!"