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ReviewsLuka Bloom weaves his eleventh album of folk Date published: 6/12/2009
BY JOHN ALBERTO For more than 30 years, Irish folk singer Luka Bloom has been impressing listeners with his distinctive vocals and guitar. Bloom received early critical acclaim for his albums "Riverside" (1990) and "The Acoustic Motorbike" (1991). He has continued this trend up through his recently released 11th solo album, cleverly titled "Eleven Songs." The album begins with "There Is a Time," which suggests that there is a time for everything. It opens with a brief piano solo by Paul Smith and goes into steady vocals by Bloom with piano, percussion and strings backing him up. All the songs on the album feature Bloom on his electro-acoustic guitar and background percussion, but many are also brought to life through the accompaniment of violins and violas, such as those in "I Hear Her, Like Lorelei," which tells the story of a man reminiscing about a lost love. Although songs such as "I Hear Her, Like Lorelei" and "Fire," which is about the loss of ideas in a world where technology diverts attention, are mournful in tone, the album is optimistic and hopeful overall. This is shown in songs such as "I Love the World I'm In," which features an impressive, upbeat percussion/guitar duet. The final song on the album is "Don't Be Afraid of the Light That Shines Within You." Bloom is accompanied by a gospel choir, which adds to the already incredibly optimistic song. The lyrics are about a festival in Bloom's hometown in which the beginning of spring is celebrated, and they also express Bloom's own hopes for the future. Bloom keeps "Eleven Songs" upbeat and interesting throughout with primarily acoustic instrumentation, steady rhythms and storytelling on each track. John Alberto is a rising senior
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