Cloudy Day Navigation [Digipak] * by Grada (CD, May-2007, Compass USA)

I saw these guys in concert in early December and I was in love! I bought their second cd at the concert then bought their first on ebay the next week. Two weeks later I saw this one on ebay and had to have it. This cd is currently my favorite of the three. It has a few modern style songs which are really excellent. Alan's flute and Colin's fiddle duets still amaze me! Andrew has the coolest bass solo on track 7 Maria Letizia's- which my family has unanimously declared Grada's absolute best. Nicola Joyce brings a different voice which really suits the songs selected for this album. The cd also comes with a dvd of a concert in Dublin. This is fantastic! You can see for yourself just how tight they are. This is also when Gerry's talents really show through. His is so fun to watch and you can see how his interaction with the other members really entice them to kick it up a notch. My brother is an avid guitar player and he was very impressed and shocked that Gerry is only rhythm. I say buy it! You will not be disappointed!

Gráda, a young group from Ireland who play traditional Irish music blended with contemporary fusion. What might be a good example of this is the occasional addition of brass and drummer to the primary components, (flute, guitar, fiddle, upright bass and bodhrán). Acoustically they display incredible depth and diversity together, both with skill and style. Gráda achieves an infectious, Irish folk rhythm that is captivating by its own. Really talented, admirably energetic and purely amazing, a live concert experience is highly recommended when given the opportunity.

From the beginning I've been partial to the instrumental tracks. But the more I examine their songs, the more I am charmed. Beautiful vocals and freshly creative lyrics that are in a way a pleasant suspect of the Irish psyche, brushed by authentic roots. The group is definitely worth a closer look in general.

To Gráda newcomers choosing to buy one CD, I would strongly suggest Cloudy Day Navigation. The bonus disc, a DVD featuring 35 minutes of video (live performance in Dublin) plus more audio samples (from previous releases, playable only in DVD) makes it an ideal introductory album. A good value for the money.