My Roots Are Showing

by

Natalie MacMaster

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I have been on a whirlwind tour of natalie macmaster throughout the last month, and i encourage everyone to follow suit. i saw her in concert earlier this month (it was the most amazing thing), and i bought this CD 2 days ago, and i simply cannot get enough of her incredible talent. i have literally listened to nothing else since i bought this recording, and here is why. don't be fooled by the name or cover of this album. i was hesitant at first because i was expecting a CD full of romantic-like ballads (which, with her talents, would have been fine), but what i really wanted was an energy-packed recording, and that's just what i found. her roots ARE showing, but in a very energetic manner. this probably goes for all cape breton fiddling (or at least in the sets that i have come in contact with), but the sets always end with a fast tune, and this is the energy that keeps me coming back for more. macmaster does not mess around on this album. she provides the listener with nearly 60 minutes of insane, yet completely controlled playing that gets better the more you listen. playing sets that last as long as 7 minutes (this is a long time and hard to keep up at the pace she is going-- she should be admired for this), she provides a feel that is almost similar to the feeling that i got when i saw her live. the final track on this album actually is a live recording of her and her uncle (the famous CB fiddler buddy macmaster), but except for the clapping in the background, it sounds no different than the rest of the tracks on the album. naturally, the last track is the standout track because it packs the most power, but the other tracks are amazingly close in the amount of energy expressed. i simply cannot say enough good things about macmaster and this album, and i encourage everyone to see her live, or at the very least, buy any recording that you can get your hands on. you will not be disappointed.