Celtic music can be found in some surprising places, from Spain to North Carolina. Spain's Galicia region is home to some curiously dislocated vestiges of Celtic culture and music. From Llan de Cubel, which hews pretty closely to the traditional line, to the electrifying jazzy folk-rock of Carlos Nunez, Galician music pretty much covers all the bases of Celtic-style music.
Keympa's Reviralo is somewhere in between those two ends of the spectrum. This octet plays mostly acoustic music, with some occasional electric bass tossed in on the more uptempo numbers. The eleven tracks on this disc alternate between instrumental pieces and songs sung mainly by Sandra Corcoles. Most of the music was written by members of the group, but there are also some traditional works arranged by the band.
Corcoles has a nasal soprano that sounds juvenile to my ears on some of the slower songs like the opening "Fisterra." Her vocal style is better suited to songs like "Ojos Negros" and "O Xeito," both of which have an intriguing blend of North African rhythms and Gypsy tonal influences. Stringed instruments dominate; layered violins, cellos, and 12-string guitars are augmented by flutes and an occasional accordion. Guest Nuria Molto adds Celtic harp to the enchanting "No hay palabras (There are no words)," and Esteban Campo plays pipes on the rousing final jig, "Cuatro esquinas."
An exotic album, Reviralo takes Celtic sounds in some interesting directions.
