HOLEN AR BED/LE SEL DE LA TERRE

GLAZ is yet another Breton group that is traditional at its core with a rock orientation and a flirtation with the progressive. The voice of Nathalie Brignognen is the GLAZ calling card - breathy, sultry and plaintive all at once.

Invoking irresistible rhythms and a subtle swing as in "Ar Rannou" and especially "Silverstrig", they compare favourably to contemporaries. Even the instrumental "An Durzhunell" shows that the band can stand on its own without Nathalie at least for a track, and its double bass and woodwinds combination casts a respectful nod to MOVING HEARTS. GLAZ joins the rank-and- file with the more traditional "An Dud a Vor" and "Sailing to Galway" while the nadir is the holy mess of "An Amzer Dremenet" which proves they were taking some lessons from DAN AR BRAZ, TRI YANN and RUNRIG but not getting even the gist of "hard rock" celtic style.

Occupying the middle ground in the broad spectrum of Breton folk rock, "Holan Ar Bed" is about a half an entertaining disk, not quite salt of the earth but no scourge upon it.