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Review: Tufa Tales: Appalachian Fae

 

Tufa Tales: Appalachian Fae

 

by Tuatha Dea

 

 

 

Gatlinburg, Tennessee's Tuatha Dea based the album Tufa Tales: Appalachian Fae on the writings of Pagan author Alex Blesdoe. His dramatic and culturally significant, although completely fictional, stories set a powerful stage for the Appalacian based folk and rock songs by Tuatha Dea. Together, they are a near perfect blend of music and prose.
The opening track, “The Hum and the Shiver” refers to the feelings, good and bad, that really living your life can bring. It is also the title of the first book in the Tufa series by Alex Bledsoe. It is a great folk rock song. Clean, beautiful vocals by Becca and Kathy help bring it all together.

 

The next song is actually a medley of songs called “Wisp of a Thing” that can only be described as progressive folk. The pacing and energy of the song changes completely from the beginning to the end, leaving me wanting more, but more than happy to dive into the next song.

 

“Long Black Curl” is possibly the strongest track on the album and definitely the one you will walk away remembering and singing to yourself. After I heard it (And watched the AMAZING video for it; check out www.youtube.com/watch?v=retsDjXYsAs to see it in Magick Jukebox TV Episode 2) once or twice, I heard my son singing it around the house. It is a beautiful piece of work and must be heard to be truly appreciated.

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“Date with a Halo” is a lovely ballad. Becca's vocals are prime here. The instrumentation is clean and beautifully executed. The lyrics are well crafted and tell a great story that makes me care about the story it has to tell.

 

The album finishes up with a couple of live tracks “Bagabi”, which originally appeared on the Kith & Kin album and “Granny's Bedtime Tonic” originally on Tuatha Dea. “Granny's Bedtime Tonic” is the standout here, not only because the song is really fun, but because you get to hear how Danny interacts with their audiences and you also get a taste of what makes Tuatha Dea such a special band. Almost all the members of the band are related in some way and they have a strong connection to family in all ways.

 

Let's face it, this band can play. They play very well and they know how to please a crowd. This album is now a favorite of mine, I found something in it that I rarely get in an album, re-playability. I can put this album on repeat ten times in a row today and then do it again tomorrow. If I only had one negative thing to say about this album, it would be this: I really wish Danny had lent his voice to more of it. He is as good of a vocalist as anyone else in the band, and I would have liked to hear more of that. If all I can say is I wish there was more, that's something.

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Last modified on

David Banach is a husband, father, active member of his local Pagan community and host of The Magick Jukebox Podcast. He has nearly 10 years of experience with the genre of Pagan music.

Comments

  • Deborah Blake
    Deborah Blake Tuesday, 28 October 2014

    I love these guys! I actually discovered them through Alex, who is a pal of mine, but now I adore them just for themselves.

  • Merrie Morrison
    Merrie Morrison Wednesday, 29 October 2014

    I am a total fanatical Tuatha Dea groupie!!!! They are great on a CD - but to really find out how awesome they are you have to see them in person. They put so much energy into their music - and the audience responds by pumping in more - that by the end of the evening I am as drunk as if I had imbibed in one or more mind altering substances - without taking any. My health keeps me in constant pain - moderate or severe but never gone - except after a Tuatha Dea concert. It keeps me pain free for 12 or more hours!

    The talent, harmony, extreme variety of musical styles, and a stage full of instruments that the band revolves around shows a level of expertise that few (if any) others can provide. And - they are as friendly and caring as any people you could ever meet. They are truly family to all of us who know and love them!

    Give yourself a treat and buy a CD - or better yet give yourself a life changing experience by seeing them in person!

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