Customer Reviews

Time to Fall

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Karen Matheson's newest album seems to upset some of those who bemoan "she had better sing traditional songs OR ELSE!" I've heard a variety of criticisms of this album including a comparison to Celine Dion (this sort of absurdity boggles the mind! They CAN'T be listening, can they?) -- well, if folks are ready to open their ears and LISTEN, then they will hear a subtle, moving, richly realized work by one of the finest singers to emerge from Scotland in recent years. Not only that, but this album showcases one of the most talented and brilliant of Scottish writers and musicians, James Grant, who contributes a number of original tunes and is among the very talented group of musicians who back Karen Matheson. I'm still scratching my head at those that bemoan Grant's writing: he deftly weaves music and lyrics that are direct and simple enough for popular song, yet that are vibrant and insightful through their imagery, emotional range, precision, and poetic qualities.

Well, this is certainly a different sound side of Karen Matheson that we haven't seen before. While I agree that the lack of Gaelic music is disappointing, the rest of the album cannot be lamented. Each track (with the possible exception of "Phoebe") is remarkable in its own way and thoroughly enjoyable. The title track, "Time to Fall", is addicting; the strong synthesized sounds along side her voice are fantastic. Its nice to see a modern attempt meet with such success.

Some utterly beautiful songs - just what we'd expect of Karen! There's a powerful and seductive, yet sad, sense of introspection on more than half the songs. I can't give it five stars because a few songs just don't seem to mesh with the overall mood of the album (dates me, doesn't it!) - "CD" for you young ones.

Karen excells in the Gaelic language, transporting us to a world transfixed between both the modern and ancient, but she fails to give us enough of the Gaelic on this album. "Morning" is brilliant enough in the English language - one can only begin to imagine how incredible it could be in Gaelic.

An Ataireachd Ard (The Song of the Sea) is possibly the best song ever of Karen's. It transports the listener to Scotland's Western Isles, a special, often seemingly timeless land, rich in history and contemporary life. Perhaps it is no coincidence that I am also reading Adam Nicolson's "SEA ROOM - An Island Life in the Hebrides".

I strongly recommend both!

I love this CD, it's brilliant. The lyrics to the songs are very well written, the music is beautiful and I can just entirely lose myself in this CD. There are not many that can do that to me, I listen to this CD constantly. If you love Capercaillie, but don't mind a different sound, check this out! This is a must-have for any celtic/new age collection!

If you love Karen Matheson's voice from Capercaille, you will love this "Time to Fall" by Karen Matheson CD. The music is diverse with several Celtic arrangements.

This was a joy to listen to over and over and over!!!

Tess

If you like Capercaillie, you will love this - nothing else to say - excellent.

Karen Matheson's voice has been fascinating me since I bought my first Capercaillie CD - "Choice Language". Then I got amazed when having heard her singing two songs on Secred Garden's album "Once In A Red Moon" and I decided to obtain her solo albums, too. In comparision with her debut solo release, "Time To Fall" has more jazz spirit and it sounds more sophisticated. Karen wrote most of her songs about love, they are deep, touching, but also melancholic.

My favourites are "All The Flowers of The Bought", "Moonchild", but mostly "Whispered Reason" and "Time To Fall" - I always get goosebumps when listening to them...

If you buy this CD, you will get a collection of fair and pleasant songs which can warm your evenings...

Karen Matheson has without question one of the finest voices to ever utter a note. On the other hand, a great singer alone does not make a great, or in this case, even good album. With the exception of Morning, which is not that bad of a song, but still somewhat bland, the lyrics are just boring and the music being played to accompany the lyrics are nothing to get excited about either. One of the songs uses Robert Burns' writing as lyrics, but again the music just fails in every aspect.

If you wish to see Matheson at her best, find her tracks that appear on almost every Secret Garden CD, or any Capercaille album, her voice is just beautiful. This, unfortunately is the complete opposite other end of the spectrum. I advise anyone but die hard fans to stay away.

While Ms. Matheson's voice is as lovely here as it is in her recordings with Capercaillie, after about two listenings I found the utter banality of the string backgrounds and bored-sounding kit drums to be too much to bear.

Sean Connery said once that Karen Matheson has "the voice of an angel," and I could not agree more. The music is softer and smoother than the bulk of her work with Capercaillie (and if you're unfamiliar with Capercaillie, get right over there and buy Sidewaulk, Secret People, and The Blood Is Strong at the very least!). She infuses every song, no matter how earthy its subject, with a faintly otherworldly air simply by virtue of her voice's lovely, ethereal quality. I recommend her to anyone who enjoys Celtic music and fine singing.