Noone Lasses
Anton Emery
Anton Emery is a Celtic fingerstyle guitarist from the Portland Oregon area, and his debut CD Noone Lasses will be of interest to both Celtic and fingerstyle guitarists and music lovers. Anton has developed a personal voice that is distinctive and true to the Celtic style.
The title track combines two tunes: Noone Lasses / MacArthur's Road, the one Irish and the other Scottish. They move along at a fairly brisk clip, with a fine sense of rhythm and great separation of the different voices. This song alone shows that Anton Emery is a serious fingerstyle guitarist with a very promising future.
Child's Grove is a slow Celtic ballad, and one of the outstanding tracks on this CD. Anton has a very sensitive touch with this hauntingly beautiful melody, drawing the listener into a wonderful musical experience.
Inion Ni Scannlain, which I believe means Miss Scannlain, is an attractive melody to which Anton Emery adds a lovely accompaniment. Aficionados of Celtic music will find many subtle touches here that are hallmarks of Anton's style.
O'Carolan's Receipt is a mid-tempo tune from the early 18th century by the well known Turlough O'Carolan. The emphasis here is on the delicate melody with its rhythmic shifts and melodic turns. Another fine performance.
Cloonagroe Reel is a very cool minor key reel with some nice changes of pace and lots of rhythmic interest. Once again Anton adds his own superb touches to the tune.
Ship In Full Sail / Trip to Sligo / Christy Barry's #2 are three jigs that form a very nice medley. Anton arranges them into a just the right order, forming a very musical group of tunes.
Killearny Boys of Pleasure is another standard reel, but here slowed down to great effect. The beautiful turns in the melody and its slightly melancholy feel are heightened in this skillful and highly musical arrangement.
Conset Y Peipar Coch / Erddigan Y Pibydd Coch are two Welsh tunes that complement each other perfectly, the plaintive minor in the first answered by the affirming major in the second.
Father John of Barra / Sprig of Ivy are two pipe tunes that Anton Emery adapts to the guitar so well that they sound as if written for it. Two mid-tempo bouncy tunes bound to please any Celtic fan.
Father Kelly's / Road to Ballymac are an interesting pairing. The first is a widely known and played tune, while Anton found the second only on the internet. Both are pleasing tunes, and this is an inspired medley.
Flying to the Fleadh is a pleasant tune in triple time. A fleadh is a party or gathering.
Tribute to Peador O'Donnell ends the CD with a moving melody expertly arranged for guitar by Anton Emery. This song is a wonderful addition to the fingerstyle guitar repertoire and a beautiful end to a very fine album.
Anton Emery has produced a very impressive debut CD. This is not your standard Celtic album, but a very fine selection of a wide variety of tunes, all played with sensitivity and a highly developed technique. We can expect even better things to come from this fine up and coming artist.
You can learn more about Anton Emery on his website.
You can listen to previews of all of these songs and buy the album or individual MP3's at CDbaby.