SHINE DIÓN

This 2002 release is the last we have heard from the Norwegian duo apart from a single appearing in 2005. Their website remains active so I suppose there is still hope for more of their ethereal blend of Scandinavian and British Isles folk with a twist of light prog. They haven't altered much, with even the backing band remaining largely intact. As on "Killandra", the overall pace is slow and deliberate a la later CLANNAD or earlier LOREENA MCKENNITT. As before, a couple of tracks are relatively energetic, the better of these being the sweet "Waves of Green".

For prog fans be forewarned that they have backed off on the already limited use of lead guitar in favor of violin, which doesn't stop the opener "Flowering" from being both menacing and mesmerizing. "Moonlight Voice" is another favorite, thanks to a simple ascending guitar figure that enhances the guitar, whistles and voice. Finally, the closer "The Valley's Song" is afforded the greatest opportunity to soar in its 7 minute of languid flutes, fiddly bits, and, after a few minutes, the addition of lead guitar and drums. Vocals do not appear until the final minute and a half and reprise the original melody, with Janne Hansen fulfilling a more supporting role, which, I must say, looks pretty good on SHINE DION.

Now, if they could cut back on a few of the type of tracks that become totally predictable after the first 10-20 seconds, like "MIst-Y-Ry", "The Well", "Ocean Rose" and "Mirror Lake", that would be a wyn-wyn, wouldn't it?

This Norwegian duo, accompanied by hired hands, notably on mellotron and wind instruments, has largely succeeded in integrating a smorgasbord of folk and prog influences, among them LOREENA MCKENNITT, CLANNAD, ENYA, BLACKMORE's NIGHT, and MIKE OLDFIELD. On balance the folk wins out, but the moody and atmospheric aspect to most of the material does speak to an adventurousness not always accentuated in folk music by the numbers.

While it's unclear if they heard Spanish Oldfield follower ENGEL's only album and the discography of landmark Welsh band MABSANT, at times they more closely approximate those less internationally renowned artists, for instance, in "Dawn" and "Rowan's Song" respectively. In fact, Janne Hansen's larynx is quite reminiscent of that of the late Siwsann George from Mabsant, a group that also occasionally "sax"centuated their arrangements. Her counterpart Per Selor trades in languid Oldfield like lead guitar solos, but perhaps not as often as enthusiasts of that style would prefer. In the vivacious opener "Flow" I think fondly back to the WATERBOYS unjustly overlooked "Room to Roam" from 1990.

The fundamental flaw is that I'm not hearing much of their own style in this enjoyable release, although the furrow they plough is unique enough for Norway I suppose. Nonetheless, this is an accomplished debut that should please fans of Celtic influenced folk.

Folk music.

The medieval sound of this band with the wonderful voice of Janne Hanssen may rise the temperature in the hearts of the pilgrims looking for beauty and tranquillity. And beautiful, it is. I was sold this on the connections to RENAISSANCE. Well, my ears must be deceiving me. I find more connections to IONA and CLANNAD with some small references to LUMSK. But Annie Haslam ? Nope. This is by no means a negative remark. As the third reviewer of this album, I just wanted to set the record straight to the best of my abilities.

The main instruments are the usual medieval instruments + electric guitar, drums, bass and keyboards. But the medieval instruments dominates. There is plenty of mandolin and flutes in the mix. Which is good. This being a medieval folk music album, the songs are in that vein. I find very few "progressive" elements here. Which is fair enough. Not everyone worships at the altars of GENESIS, ELP and KING CRIMSON. Most of the songs are good. All of them are dominated by the vocals. But the instrumental parts is good too. I may expect that I would be more entusiastic about this album if there was howling rain outside and the calendar told me it was one of the winter months. But sitting here in a heatwave with a shining sun outside, I am not falling over in praise of this album. I think most of the songs are pretty dull. I am not a fan of folk music and I am failing to grasp SHINE DION's balance of Celtic and Scandinavian folk music. Most of the music here is falling into the Celtic side of the North Sea. Well, I feel the band is drowning somewhere in the North Sea. Some of the songs also has this horrible teutonic ompa-pa beerkeller feeling. I range the latter music scene in the same division as Al Quida. Destroy, terminate, destroy.

But my main conclusion is that this is a very good folk music album. It is the best Norwegian/Scandinavian folk rock album I have ever heard. Their more famous brethren in LUMSK can go and eat their hearts out. Well, they are disbanded and I am afraid that is also the fate of SHINE DION. I really like this album, but not highly enough to call it an essential album.

3.75 stars

There is something stunningly eerie about Scandinavian folk music, perhaps even more so than its Celtic cousin, as it somehow conveys the serene iciness of the vast Nordic expanses. It's a contrast of human warmth and polar atmospherics. I love both the Irish-Scot-Breton folk genre , with musicians as diverse as Iona, Blackmore's Night, Clannad, Horslips, Gryphon, Mostly Autumn, Karnataka, Viima, Malicorne, Seven Reizh and Kad as well as even more mainstream artists such as Enya, Loreena McKennitt, Alan Stivell, and the Chieftains. There is so much spirit in this musical genre, whether inspired by proggy or more traditional elements. The Scandinavian prog scene has always infused their major players with loads of colorations that made Landberk, Anglagard, Anekdoten, Sinkadus and White Willow so attractive to fans worldwide. Tiny Norway's Shine Dion is the magical duo of multi-instrumentalist Par Selör and the breathtaking vocalizations of Janne Hanssen , aided and abetted by various side musicians stroking violin, flute, accordion, mellotron, mandolin, saxophone and percussion. Let's just say that the material, the delivery and the moods are simply stellar evocations of a pristine culture that manages to express the myriad of characteristics of this beautiful land. One can hear the crispness of winter snow, the bold envelope of northern winds and the outright majestic landscapes with stunning mountains and fjords, a seemingly endless horizon of sheer splendor. "Wyn" is not complex stuff, yet it is basking in deep medieval melancholia, with no particularly weak track, each one a platform for Janne's angelic voice and some soothing mostly acoustic arrangements. The legendary mellotron makes a few appearances, perhaps to stamp the proceedings with a clearly prog label, as it becomes quickly evident that this is not new age, traditional folk or world music. This singular detail makes this a most appealing and ultimately crucial addition to any diversified prog collection. Both "Wyn" and the previous debut "Killandra" are surefire winners that will warm your winter nights, when you need to really"chill" after a hard day on the tundra. 5 icebound fjords.