Search - Jacqui McShee's Pentangle :: Passe Avant

Another Great Effort

Timothy Coffey | Wakefield, RI USA | 11/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like many, I really like the older Pentangle, I am a guitarist and Bert and John are two of my favorites. As a matter of fact, great vocals have never been a priority for me, but great songs and arrangements have. The sax, piano, percussion, bass, and guitar on this album are very good and very tight, although there is much less emphasis on guitar than the old days. Jacqui's voice isn't just superb as usual; this is her best effort. The arrangements are solid and diverse and the mix is comparable to the older stuff, although she opts for several different flavors of jazz and little in the way of blues (my favorite kind of music). The House carpenter is awesome, and while I like the old version, I always thought Burt and John tried to pour too much into that cut. This version is all together, and the instrumentals are well placed. Lagan Love is the best-unaccompanied vocals I have heard from Jacqui, when I die I hope the angels sing that well. The two other traditional cuts are also superb. "That's the Way it is" is my favorite cut; it has a funky jazz kind of main verse with a real nice chorus and then some funky sax with a blend of dissonance. Listen to the album a few times before you decide Jacqui needs Bert and John. The musicians on this album are top-notch and Jacqui McShee continues to demonstrate her wide range of talent."