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MILES TO GO ALBUM - CRITIC REVIEWS - JOE CROZIER In Perth Irish Scene Magazine: David Hyams is a Fremantle-based multi-instrumentalist and composer who enjoys a fine reputation on the local music scene. He has played in such bands as Devils On Horseback, Press Gang and Reel to Reel. Miles To Go is a collection of Hyams' own compositions, on which he is joined by some of WA's best known players, including Ormonde Waters and Dougal Adams. Adams' highland pipes and flute, and Waters' uillean pipes, concertina and whistles merge with Hyams' own influences to give the tunes on the album a decidedly Celtic touch. This comes through strongly in tunes like the lively Something For Nothing, the set New Year's Day/Renewing The Fire/A Place in the Sun, and a lovely melodic tune called The Old Speckled Hen, which leads into the sprightly Three For The Road. In Journey Into Ireland, Hyams offers an interpretation of the varying moods he experienced on his first day in Ireland. His visit to Scotland is reflected in Before The Dawn/Storming The Barricades, the mood set throughout by the highland pipes of Dougal Adams. While Hyams may stray in many directions, his West Australian roots are always there to return to. In Fitzroy River Crossing and Dust Into Dusk he transports his listeners to outback and bush. And he winds up with a lovely tune evocative of "waking in the bush at first light" in which James Hewgill sparkles on piano and Marcus Dengate on bass. There are so many nuances and shifts of mood and direction on Miles To Go that it is possible to give only a smattering of what it has to offer. I get something more every time I listen to it. If you are a fan of acoustic instrumental music, this is for you. |
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