Review of the CD, “The Visit”, from Folk Bulletin
THE VISIT, Phil Holland and Dave Palmley LMCRecords, 2011
That this album has the same name as Loreena McKennit’s album from 1991 is pure coincidence, given the great difference in atmosphere and inspiration between the two works, and the comparison is not necessarily in the favour of the more famous Canadian artist. Phil Holland, the harpist, violinist and singer we have already written about previously. In 2008 we reviewed her interesting solo album “Faeries”, in which we noted her delicate touch in the plucking of her harp strings and the movement of her violin bow and the evocative timbre of her voice. Now she is back in the company of Dave Palmley, who is also a multi-instrumentalist (guitar, tin whistle, mandolin, bass and voice) and they have founded a duo which is stylistically minimal and intrinsically energetic. The energy undoubtedly comes from Dave’s numerous folk-rock experiences which fuse beautifully with Phil’s more classical and melodious style. The repertoire is a fine balance of traditionals and originals, all written and arranged by Phil and Dave together, displaying creative coherence and excellent merging of styles. As a duo Phil and Dave perfectly complement each other, giving us moments of true charm in a subtly vintage style. Clean sounds, sincere inspiration and a pinch of nostalgia: “The Visit” is without a doubt one of the revelation albums of this year…
Contact: lmcrecords2011@gmail.com
Enrico Lucchesi
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