I m not sure what dramatics take place onstage when Kalevala is performed, but I hope they carry the story better than the recording. The songs don t explain the narrative without the album s liner notes. Also, while the singing is breathtaking, the melodies of the songs themselves sound too much alike. The most striking songs are the ones that feature the vocalists backed mainly by percussion, allowing them to show off their stylistic effects. This is hardly the first solo album from Maddy Prior, who has been one of the dominant voices in English folk circles for nearly 30 years, but as her first release since she ended her longstanding role as the vocal keystone of pioneering folk-rockers Steeleye Span it has a special significance.
Old fans have nothing to fear.
This is a strong and confident recording that blends some of the best of her old sound with a few new tricks. Her band these days is based around keyboardist Nick Holland and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley, who also sing hearty harmonies and contribute to the arrangements. Holland s lush keyboards support most of the quieter tracks, as well. Donockley s overdubbed electric and acoustic guitars, cittern, pipes, and whistles provide the rest of the instrumental framework, along with Andy Crowdy s bass and Teri Briant s drums. The bulk of the disc s material is of modern origin, though.