STRONG IN THE SUN

Like many folky bands of the early 1970s, TÍR NA NÓG decided to electrify their sound somewhat as they progressed, and one gets the feeling that the evolution was not complete by the time of this their third and final album. The generally simple acoustic vibe remains, but rock elements are making headway here and there.

"Whitestone Bridge" is the highlight here, a powerful and excellent track reminding me of MAGNA CARTA's "Ring of Stones" but with a lot more oomph. The mystical element is clear from the lyrics and the music plays to that quality in spite of the aggressive guitars and drums. Unfortunately the title cut also goes where TÍR NA NÓG has not gone before., and where they need not have gone. It is probably their most commercial cut, not bad but just too self consciously catchy and with a rather trite chorus.

While the overall quality of even the mellow tracks is down from their prior release, "In the Morning" retains that nostalgic and timeless feel. "Love Lost" embraces the peace and love far eastern vibe far more than the group had done previously but pulls it off fairly well thanks to some solid playing and mood setting. It avoids that tendency to simply float in a non-pharmaceutical haze.

Perhaps it was simple lack of commercial success, perhaps personality issues, or some other reason, but the TÍR NA NÓG saga ended here, on an album where they failed to reproduce the magic they had conjured before. In spite of the generally tasteful style on which the group could be counted, this finale has grown weak in the shade of intervening years. 2.5 stars rounded down.