Greenrose Faire: My Home Is Where My Heart Is

When I was a kid, Renaissance Faires were all about candied apples, costumes, swords and décolletage. As a young adult they were all about beer, costumes, swords and décolletage. Not much has changed through the years as now, at onset of middle-age, Renaissance Faires are all about décolletage. Well I am happy to report that a quick spin of Greenrose Faire's latest release, My Home Is Where My Heart Is, will transport you right back to whichever Renaissance Faire fantasy you wish to entertain.

The members of Greenrose Faire are obviously masters of their craft, employing numerous exotic instruments that I struggle to pronounce let alone comprehend, including kantele, jouhikko and didgeridoo. Alright, I admit that I can pronounce didgeridoo and might even have an idea of what one looks like, but a jouhikko? I'm sure jouhikko is somewhere in the etymological history of "doo-hickey". Even more impressive than fancy-shmancy instruments is that all songs are original compositions penned by drummer Tomi Hyttinen.

All the songs on My Home Is Where My Heart Is are ditty-esque bouncy affairs, effortlessly transporting the listener to another time and place, where merriment was as abundant as ale, and perfectly roasted legs of lamb were swung in the air to the rousing beat of drunken singing. The novel sounds of authentic instruments mingled with the seductive, dulcet tones of Salla Rimmi's vocals bring to mind Annie Haslem or Candice Night fronting Renaissance and Blackmore's Night. My only qualm with the music, and it is more of a pet peeve, is that for all their efforts at authenticity, the cool antique instruments, original compositions, and even fancy costumes, Greenrose Faire employ a healthy dose of synthesizer, and it stands out, at least to my ear. Keep in mind, I will complain loudly when a period piece film is backed by a soundtrack from the wrong era. If harkening back to another era is your cup of tea, or flagon of ale rather, than this is the perfect collection of songs for you. I'd also highly recommend My Home Is Where My Heart Is for all those curious about kanteles, jouhikkos and didgeridoos.

Track Listing –
1. The Storm
2. My Home Is Where My Heart Is
3. By the River
4. Moondance
5. Stormy Hill
6. Ancient Gods
7. Road Song
8. Miracle
9. Songs and Stories
10. Far Away
11. The Clouds Are Clearing

Added: November 30th 2013
Reviewer: Eric Marvin
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2752
Language: english

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