
Clannad became synonymous with Celtic new age in the late 1980s & &90s Adding layers of sometimes ethereal sometimes majestic-sounding synth pads & drum loops to traditional instruments & electric guitars the band became a signpost for other acts during the Celtic music boom at the end of the last century & the dawn of the new After winning a Best New Age album Grammy in 1998 for Landmarks the band took an extended break They issued a live album in 2011 but Nssd&
- ;r marks their formal return to studio recording after 15 years away These 13 tracks -- ten originals two traditional Gaelic tunes & a Scottish air -- meld Irish music&s heritage with contemporary jazz electronic new age & soft pop & rock While many acoustic instruments adorn these songs -- mandolas pennywhistles bodhrans harps & acoustic guitars -- so do electric six-strings fretless basses synths & subtle loops adding edges & underscoring the band&s mastery of textures to frame its melodies While Nssd&
- ;r breaches no new terrain it will prove a welcome return for Clannad&s international legion of fans Thom Jurek