CARA
Our Ship is Ready
Philippe Cousin
Comprised of three German musicians and a Scottish pianist and singer, the band Cara, formed in 2003, returns with their ninth album, 'Our Ship is Ready'. Although based in Germany, the band performs worldwide, offering authentic Celtic music deeply rooted in Irish and Scottish tradition.
Their music features innovative arrangements of traditional tunes as well as original compositions. This is also the case on the present opus which includes four traditional tunes mixed in the Cara style and seven pieces written and composed by the members of the group: Gudrun Walther on vocals, fiddle and accordion, Jürgen Treyz on guitar, dobro, bass and harmonium, Kim Edgar on vocals and piano as well as the most recent arrival, Simon Pfisterer on uilleann pipes and flutes. The recurring themes in the songs, such as emigration 'Our Ship is Ready', love 'Celine's', the loss of loved ones, and more current climate change 'The Sinking Ship', are all present on this hopeful album.
With two 'Irish Music Awards' and several prizes received in Germany, seven studio albums, two live albums, and numerous concerts to their credit, Cara navigates between traditional music and original songs, offering us joyful and invigorating music. On 'The Sunny Hills', a set of three traditional Irish tunes, the uilleann pipes are very prominent and beautifully convey the lightness of the melodies. In addition, four guests joined the regular lineup to enhance an already excellent album. This ninth album is undoubtedly one of the band's best. It's a shame they tour so much around the world but never come to perform here. A band worth discovering.
Artes Records ARCD 6050 - www.cara-music.com