Gwydion

Gwydion Pendderwen was one of the more chatoyant figures of the folk music underground. Both of his albums -- Sings Songs for the Old Religion (1975) and The Fäerie Shaman (1982) -- were far above the average standard folk of his time, especially on his second album from 1982, reissued here for the first time. The Neo-Pagan and environmentalist tried a different path seven years after his haunting debut album, mixing bluegrass, country, gospel, and dixie into classic folky singer/songwriter tunes of enchanting beauty. Most of the time the atmosphere on this album is rather friendly and lightweight, with bright melodies and a cheerful mood. Just take a walk in spirit through the garden of sound created by the delicate arrangements and rich, mostly acoustic instrumentation. Will you ever wish to return to what people call reality? Doubtful. There are also moments of melancholy and musing, but this is just a little shade of evening, the moment when the sky turns dark blue and the two worlds come as close as they could. This album breathes a flaming joy of life, and one would not expect that it was released shortly before Gwydion Pendderwen lost his life in a car accident. The music presented on The Fäerie Shaman swallows you like a river; you may ride like a valkyrie upon the raging waters or dive deep inside and be enchanted by the magic world beyond the surface. This should have been a classic and it is a real gem for fans of Planxty, Hamish Imlach, Dulcimer, The Pentangle, and Steeleye Span.