MP3 S. J. Tucker - Blessings

A spiritually-focused album, this is a sweet thank-you from the artist to her neotribal and pagan audience, including everything from vocals-only invocations to a full-on celebratory dance track.

10 MP3 Songs
WORLD: Celtic, WORLD: World Beat

Details:
Divinity often speaks loudest when unconfined by human dogma. Even so, music captures spiritual feelings better than almost any other medium. When an artist moves beyond pious clichés, the results can be dazzling⦠which Blessings often is.

Tuckerâs music has always had a Pagan lilt, and Blessings brings that element to the forefront. Inspired by people and events in her spiritual life, this album is a love note to modern Paganism. Several songs â especially âCome to the Labyrinth,â âHandfast Blessing,â âFor Love of All Who Gatherâ (both versions) and âWitchâs Runeâ â work best in ritual context. Several songs, in fact, were composed for rituals in which Tucker took part, and these songs â âCome to the Labyrinth,â âWitch's Rune,â âFor Love of All Who Gather/ Spirit Call,â âHandfast Blessingâ and âIn the Name of the Danceâ â are the albumâs strongest cuts.

Tucker handles most of the instrumentation herself, with occasional backing vocals from special guests. Keyboardist Ginger Doss and djembe player Winterhawk spice up the proceedings, but the arrangements on Blessings are simple and spare. The exception, âIn the Name of the Dance,â is a full-blast crowd-pleaser.

Most of the songs are hair-raisingly good. âHymn to Herneâ may be the sexiest Horned God evocation on record, while âCome to the Labyrinthâ deserves to become the official song of Samhain. The reprise outtro of âFor Love of All Who Gatherâ features an exquisite guitar passage, while âIn the Name of the Danceâ is one of the best songs Iâve heard anywhere all year. Whatever her spiritual intentions, Tucker is a formidable songstress. Whether youâre Pagan or not, Blessings is well worth owning.

--Phil Brucato
New Witch Magazine

People who are interested in Jeff Buckley Patty Larkin Wendy Rule should consider this download.