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review by Dene Bebbington Here is the last album in Medwyn Goodall's musical trilogy which apparently explores the nurturing power of womanhood. This is the first of Medwyn's albums that I've heard, so unfortunately I can't comment on how it relates to the first two in the Medicine Woman series. I can tell you that that a variety of traditional instruments lead the way with synths mainly playing a supporting role in the background. I've noticed that it's not unusual for an album to start off with the best track. That's the case here - "Invocation Part 3" has a percussive drum line over which acoustic guitar, piano, and panpipes are used very harmonically to produce a satisfying piece with a simple melody. Being a fan of Incantation's panpipe music I was pleased to find that it's one of the instruments Medwyn plays on this album. The panpipes are heard on several tracks, they take a lead role delivering the melody on "Farewell to the Darkness" where other instruments produce a nice seesawing harmony. Most tracks are fairly easygoing mid-tempo pieces, the exception being "Sherpa" on which Spanish guitar leads the way with a strumming rhythm. The panpipes showcase in this piece, besides playing a melody at some points they are also used in a more familiar style to produce a syncopated rhythm. On the whole I enjoy listening to Medicine Woman III, at first I wasn't sure what to expect from an album with such a title and was worried that it may be the kind of twee new age music one sometimes encounters. Luckily it wasn't, and while I don't play new age music often -- and then mostly as background music -- there's a good chance that this album will get the occasional outing in future rather than be one of those that sits in my collection unplayed. |
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