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review by Dene Bebbington The name Tribe is most appropriate because on The Gathering there are six people in the group plus fifteen guest performers! This album is difficult to classify; it is a confluence of several musical influences such as folk, classical, world music, and new age - to name those which stand out to this reviewer. There are fifteen tracks of which just two are instrumental with the rest having lyrics sung by male and female vocalists, and of the fifteen I recognise two pieces as being cover versions: "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Nights in White Satin". I didn't quite know what to make of The Gathering when I first heard it. Over time it's grown on me, especially the lyrics which [while] perhaps too "nice" and simplistic to some people are generally positive and reflective of good things - and in a world burdened with stress and sorrow we'd surely be better off focusing more on wholesome things. The mood on this album is generally laid back; it's mostly quietly uplifting without the need for upbeat pieces or dramatic flourishes, though the pace does pick up on some of the more rhythmic and percussive pieces, particularly near the end of the album. Indeed, their version of "Nights in White Satin" lacks the drama of the Moody Blues's original and has female vocals. The music is largely acoustic with guitar, flutes, cello, and violin; but there is also percussion and the occasional gentle synth pads. The pleasantness of this album is rounded off nicely by using nature sounds like bird song and falling rain on some pieces. This is actually quite striking in "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" on which there's bird song, rain and thunder; it put me in mind of sitting in a conservatory looking out over a beautiful English garden. I can certainly recommend The Gathering as a pleasing album which can lift one's spirits and get the mind contemplating the things that matter most in life. |
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