A CD Recommendation from Jenni

Performer name:  Loreena McKennitt

CD Title:  Parallel Dreams

Genre(s):  World, New Age

Your own words on why you're recommending this CD:  I have a hard time describing why I like a particular artist or CD which is may be why I seldom do these myself.  But I'm giving it a try!  I have all of Loreena McKennitt's full-length CDs and it was hard to choose just one.  Ended up choosing this one cause it has the most tracks that I ended up putting on my personal "Best of" mixed CD of her songs.  I just love how many of these tell stories.  And her voice just makes me feel like she's singing through time, if that makes sense.  "Samain Night" is wonderful and beautiful and always makes me think of Andrew.  I'm sure he'd love that since Samain is a sorta predecessor to Halloween.  "Annachie Gordon" is a sorta Celtic Romeo and Juliet but I actually prefer this variation.  It's much more realistic to me.  "Standing Stones" is probably my favorite track on this CD.  Another tragic love story and the instrumentations is awesome.  "Dicken's Dublin" is just incredible.  It mixes Loreena singing about a homeless person looking for a place to stay with a young child telling the Christmas story.  What a strong juxtaposition! 
One thing I love about LM is her songs are deep and their lyrics even troubling.  So if you're looking for some deep contemplation, these songs are for you.  However, the melodies are often so enchanting and relaxing that a casual listen can be incredibly relaxing.