Balligomingo
Beneath The Surface
Windham Hill
What genre do I call this? I usually just refer to it as “music that sounds like Delerium and Enigma,” because I haven’t come across many other bands sharing their style. It’s lush, ambient world music peppered with synth and minimalistic beats; overlaid, more often than not, with reverb-drenched female vocals or a Gregorian choir. Balligomingo’s spin on the idea smoothes things right out – Beneath The Surface glimmers and glows with polished washes of sound. Gorgeous strings on “Falling,” poignant guitar on “Marooned” (I highly recommend tracking down the early version of this song, featured on the original Balligomingo sampler CD) and the searing Irish-tinged vocals of the hidden track, “Being,” will have you holding your breath. Songs like “Sweet Allure” could be Delerium cuts, but are saved from complete anonymity by their own distinct flavors (the aforementioned piece – and several others, actually – laying down crisp acoustic guitar over the chorus). Still, you won’t be surprised to hear that Kirsty Thirsk (of Delerium and The Rose Chronicles fame) sings on Balligomingo’s debut.
Solid, impressive ear candy.
