Vol 3: Further In Time

And so the great Afro Celt adventure continues into a third chapter. Whereas Volume One was bursting with the energy of new ideas but maybe lacked focus, their second album Release was for the most part a bland, uninspired affair. With Further In Time, however, things are looking up. Recapturing the loose, fluid feel of that first album, they have wisely decided to build on their sound rather than just recycling a few old ideas. Opener ‘North’ ups the dance ante from the off, a pulsating floor shaker built around an eiree vocal chant and easily their most successful marriage of the organic and the electronic so far. A greater advance is the increased use of vocals, especially the chiming, African harmonies that pepper the album and give it a joyous, uplifting timbre. Label boss Peter Gabriel’s contribution ‘When You’re Falling’ benefits from such an approach and is an undoubted highpoint, as is Pina’s atmospheric duet with Iarla O Lionaird on ‘Go On Through’. Sadly Robert Plant’s effort, ‘Life Begin Again’ is a load of old bollocks but you can’t have everything and O Lionaird more than makes up for it with the dreamy ‘Persistence Of Memory’. Afro Celt Sound System – great idea, great name, finally a great band.