Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
The threads of success and completion are so tightly stretched that it only takes a sharp tug and the whole process, the experience, can come lose, can snap before it has even had time to be recognised for what it is, and in the same way that individual prowess can be lost when Time and nature conspire against us, so to do the threads of success suffer under the same strain.
In a moment which can become an era of not only surviving the impossible but being able to be strict to complete a project, it is not only down to strength, but to the idea of continuance that keeps us in check, inspires us to keep balance with our own internal creative desires and being mindful of how the world will react when it to is suffering, when it may have lost hope.
In such times people lose the point of showing emotion, it is not about being noticed or wallowing in perceived misery, it is beginning of empathy, of embracing sympathy and displaying what it means to be human. It is in such an accord with the balance of nature and the grasp of continuance that Oka Vanga release their self-titled third album with much acclaim and due acknowledgement of how they progressed with valour to finish the recordings against the backdrop of world-wide concern.
Angela Meyer and William Cox, alongside contributions from guest musicians Patsy Reid on violin, viola and cello and John Parker on double bass, have no issue with that dynamic mix of authentic and drive, a combination to which some fall short on when showcasing their emotions and their artistic cravings in the same outpouring of creative endeavour.
Whether it is on the sensational opening track of Beneath The Apple Tree, Whisky For Sorrow, Tenpenny Bit & The Crooked Crow, Blackthorn Stick & Atholl Highlanders or the finale of The Cuckoo, Ms. Meyer and Mr. Cox weave their way impressively through the finer nuances of impassioned poignancy and intricate vocal pictures designed to embrace all who listen, and which because of Time’s persuasion and urge to see through the darkness, becomes in itself, a timeless piece of art.
Oka Vanga releases their self-titled third album on March 26th via Crazy Bird Records.
Ian D. Hall