"The Road to Santiago"
by Heather Dale

by J. Wallace

Canadian Heather Dale's fifth release is an excellent find. The Road to Santiago finds her in top form, with confident and often sassy vocals. The album has some fine Celtic textures including good double fiddle on The Greyhound, and just the right amount of guitar on the nearly a capella Holly, Ivy and Yew.

Heather Dale has been compared to Loreena McKennitt and Sarah McLachlan, but her interest in Arthurian legends and Native American imagery gives the music an added dimension that's a joy to discover. The Road To Santiago has its roots set firmly in Gaeldom, but there are many influences at work including a taste of piano blues on Confession, and on Sedna, there's a hint of Australian aboriginal sounds that would fall flat in lesser hands. On this CD it works quite well.

Medusa is one of the best songs on the CD, and probably one with a good deal of commercial potential. Heather Dale puts herself on par with Tori Amos here-no easy feat-but this song rises to its own category. The energy running through Medusa is worth the price of the entire album.

Dale is getting some much-deserved attention. Her tours have extended beyond Canada into the UK and America, and the singer's popularity is growing fast. After hearing The Road To Santiago, it's easy to understand. Her confidence and skill behind the microphone make it easy to forget you're listening to a studio album instead of a live performance. This could be one of the best Celtic-influenced CDs of the year.

Artist: Heather Dale

   Buy the Album: "The Road to Santiago"