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Review by Bill Binkelman Laliya is a duo (James Maguire and Melissa McCarthy) who reside in Australia. On this, their second album (my first exposure to their music) they play an infectious, uptempo, yet complex and even atmospheric hybrid of new acoustic, subtle world fusion, adult contemporary and a dash of new age music. You may think "convoluted," but believe me, it isn't. Far from it, these two are tight with a capital "T." Maguire plays an Appalachian dulcimer (not a hammered variation of the instrument but instead played with bare hands) which, through studio wizardry, sounds like a cross between the sparkly guitars of Craig Chaquico and a Chapman stick! He also contributes some didgeridoo (what Australian CD would be complete without that anyway?). McCarthy plays percussion, most notably the African djembe. Both of these musicians are at the top of their respective games throughout Just Like River. The seven songs are all excellent compositions, with the only downside (if there is one at all) being that the shortest song is almost five minutes long and the average length is probably closer to six minutes. Given the relative sparseness of instrumentation (although the engineering and mix is perfect) this means that some tracks may go on a tad too long. However, if you end up liking the music, as I did, this won't be a problem. As noted above, what stands out on Just Like River, is how Maguire's (he wrote all the music) compositions manage to be energetic and frequently fast tempo, but not really cheery. There's usually an "edge" to the music, so that underneath the exuberance is shadow and mystery. I don't know if this can be attributed to the sound he gets from the "treated" dulcimer, or if it's inherent in the music itself, but this is not necessarily bouncy "glad to be alive" music. It's closer in spirit to the recordings of the duo Montana Skies (Jonathan and Jennifer Adams). Both of these duos craft emotionally complex and intriguing music which rewards repeated playings as a result of these two characteristics. From the opening haunting "Desert Oak" and its rapid fire dulcimer notes that reverb and echo like thousands of melodic ping pong balls to the loping cadence of the title track (which marks the first appearance of the didge which fits in nicely with the multi-tracked dulcimer and the midtempo djembe playing by McCarthy) to the sparkly mystical opening of "Losing Sight" which evolves over its seven-plus minutes to blend in contemporary dance beats, becoming a unique twist on electronica, to the closing "Cerulean Blue" and its swaying romanticism at the outset (via some nice uncredited synth playing) which yields to a fast-paced number laced with a sense of urgency, as if one was speeding over the waves, the album is simply delightful in the best possible sense. The mixture of contemporary beats (at times) is a welcome addition, yet even when it's just dulcimer and djembe, the two artists' skills and Maguire's composing talent are more than enough to not just hold interest but get in one's bloodstream and percolate into a heady but subtle frenzy! It's rare that music this lively is also so filled with a sense of dramatic tension without going over the top. I really enjoyed listening to Just Like River and if you like rhythmic music that features a unique stringed instrument sound as well as catchy melodies galore, I solidly recommend this recording. |
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