FLAMING STAR

A great release in the new millenium from Sally Oldfield. The eight minute title track opener is an incantation where SO sings a great backing chorus combined with some beautiful lyric led passages. The Flaming Star is really a spiritually uplifting affirmation of the cosmos and sweetly repetitive." Samurai Of The Sun" is pleasant and has a largely new age feel to it. " Bird Of Paradise" perhaps her most accessibly pleasing song she has ever released, lyrics always referencing " stars" and beautifully ethereal. You might fall in love with her here :-). " One To The Power Of One", another great track. The thirteen minute renditions of " Mirrors" begins with like a Pierre Moelen sounding keyboard solo before her extended song jam gets into swing. She is in high form on this album, lead vocals, backing vocals, the mixing, production, everything is superb. Light up some insense, go for mid volume, kick back, relax and let Sally Oldfield soothe your troubles away. Four credible stars.

What an unnoticed artist she is! Totally in the shadow of his brother Mike, as is their brother Terry too (the most New Age artist of them). To many of us Sally's angelic voice is heard on Steve Hackett's debut album, in the song 'Shadow Of Hierophant'. I had actually heard only one song ('Mirrors') from her solo output before this album. So I can't evaluate it against other albums, but its goodness made me think that she'd deserve much wider recognition (at least here in Finland her albums are hard to find).

This music is dream pop, electronica, Chill Out, trance, and of course some New Age with Celtic flavour too. It is programmed but the music doesn't become too sterile or mechanic at all. The production is nearly excellent. On many songs Sally weaves a shamanistic atmosphere; some sort of cosmic incantations indeed. All tracks work pretty well, but especially 'Samurai Of The Sun' is hypnotic. Sally's singing is used more like an instrument than as a vehicle for lyrics which are sparse.

13-minute version of 'Mirrors' is a bit too jamming and repetitive for my taste. It makes me think of the foolish 12" maxi-single extended versions (do such still exist?). But the album is very enjoyable if the mentioned styles interest you.