OMMADAWN

This album?. correction: this artist is unlike anything else I've ever heard. At times his music is full of glorious orchestration, sweeping melodies, and every type of bagpipe, guitar, and recorder I think I can name; at other times he sounds like one of the actual inventors of new age, before it became really lame background music.

This album in particular stands out from the rest. This is his third album, following the hugely popular Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge?so he's still definitely in is prime at this point.

The sound is very difficult to characterize. It sounds celtic based, but there's electric guitar (with some of the most unique tones I've ever heard). It sounds orchestral but half the instruments are somehow electronic. It sounds a tad new-agey, but there's moving melodies and variations of the melodies, it sounds serene and wonderful, but packs a thunderous punch at times, and it sounds simple and fresh, but the harmonies are anything except simple. This music truly escapes any genre definition. In fact, recently I stumbled across a website where a guy was trying to rename all genres to be more accurate and sensical?one of his genres was "Oldfield Prog", he also couldn't put these sounds in a neat little box. From the guitars, to the authentic african tribal drums, and the synth to the dormant background vocals, this album carves itself into a nice unique spot in music history.

This album almost feels like a spiritual experience when listened to all the way through. It's an escape from reality and a lunge into the fantasy world of a brilliant british man, one that is all so tireless after years of abusive listening.

This album is a must have album. There is nothing else in the world like it.