{"id":5452,"date":"2015-02-16T10:23:54","date_gmt":"2015-02-16T13:53:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fredsrecords.com\/site\/?p=5452"},"modified":"2015-02-16T10:23:54","modified_gmt":"2015-02-16T13:53:54","slug":"the-fortunate-ones-the-bliss-now-available-at-freds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fredsrecords.com\/site\/2015\/02\/16\/the-fortunate-ones-the-bliss-now-available-at-freds\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fortunate Ones “The Bliss” Now Available at Fred’s!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"fortunate-ones\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a sense of a welcoming, that an invitation has been extended to the opening track of the long awaited CD by the FORTUNATE ONES. \u201cSolitary Sparks\u201d builds to a full-throttle and introduces the listener to the key qualities explored, developed and achieved on \u201cTHE BLISS\u201d. Themes of hope, reflection, desire and discovery are delved into with a positive conclusion often waiting somewhat knowingly at the path\u2019s end.<\/p>\n

\u201cWherever You Go\u201d well represents the core message addressed throughout this pure pop\/folk collection, a \u2018nothing ventured, nothing gained\u2019\/be true to yourself theme.<\/p>\n

Late edition to the album, \u201cLay Me Down\u201d might leave you thinking you\u2019ve been swept back to Buckingham\/Nicks debut with Fleetwood Mac with its hippie-blues element. It also provides a jolt to what is essentially a melancholy album..<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout A Name\u201d is one of the album\u2019s finest tracks. The strings fill the melody with a nice balance of the lush and the delicate. Catherine Allan\u2019s piano part is sweetly reminiscent of Neil Drinkwater\u2019s work with Van Morrison; sounding like raindrops on a pond on a warm summer day.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Light Will Come\u201d delivers one of those melodies so comfortable and sublime it sounds familiar\u2026 as if you\u2019ve known it your whole life. Andrew James O\u2019Brien gives us one of his finest vocal performances to date, nuanced and incredibly moving in a subtle manner, creating all the more impact as a result.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d Wait For Anyone Who Would Wait For Me\u201d is a catchy number penned by Mick Davis and serves up a pleasant tempo-shift before a pair of dirge-like tunes direct the listener to a more ponderous and reflective frame of mind. Catherine Allan\u2019s \u2018late vocals\u2019 on this number is attractive and a technique often employed by THE BAND on some vintage classics.<\/p>\n

A suitably pensive rendering of \u201cPicture In A Frame\u201d(Tom Waits) highlights the duos close harmonies.<\/p>\n

In the true literary sense, \u201cOaks And Willows\u201d is the most romantic of the album\u2019s songs. Permeations of sadness adorn its theme, relatable and effective.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeday Love\u201d is certainly one the strongest tracks; a shuffling mid-tempo number with a McCartney-esque change, jaw-dropping in its beauty and weightlessness while the title track, \u201cThe Bliss\u201d is another highlight piece; a Paul Simon like percussive-driven tune, beautifully arranged and a message particularly potent and resonant for the young at the journeys start.<\/p>\n

The blue note laden \u201cCarry On\u201d is a poignant song, a gentle cathartic-anthem that fittingly closes this most promising album.<\/p>\n

FORTUNATE ONES are one of the key acts to hear, watch and follow from Newfoundland And Labrador.<\/p>\n

-Tony Ploughman<\/p>\n