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SHELTANA: Love Is At Home

West Auckland band Sheltana call their music ‘funky world pop-rock’ that has a Celtic edge to it, due to the Uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes) that feature on many tracks. The Celtic sounds sit comfortably next to the flamenco guitar on the sweet Tu Eres Mi Amor, and the strident, straightforward rock of Out of your Head; however the mix of lightweight reggae and Uilleann pipes on One Wish For This Life is somewhat jarring. Singer Denise Ward has a voice reminiscent of Natalie Merchant and while bluesy, it is not the strongest instrument here. Musically the album is patchy, with Simon Guppy’s pipes being a highlight and Yair Katz’s percussion providing an exotic touch, while multi instrumentalist Richard Ingamells’ flute playing stands out on the haunting rhythmic instrumental Romanian. However, these moments are few. While the mix of different instrumentation is interesting, ‘Love Is At Home’ is a little haphazard, and there is nothing here to elevate this record to something special. Sheltana needs to be more streamlined and decide in what direction they want to go.

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