BLACKMORE’S NIGHT – Nature’s Light
- Posted on 08-03-2021
The renowned Blackmore’s Night, which primarily consists of the musically gifted duo that is Candice Night and Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow), is back with an inspired and enchanting record, and if you are a fan of the outfit’s mixture of medieval/renaissance music and folk rock, there is a lot for you to look forward to here.
"Nature’s Light" is a passionate and authentic-sounding affair with bags of beautiful melodies and countless interesting layers and nuances to it. To hear how Night and Blackmore complement each other throughout the album is an incredible experience. With the overall theme revolving around the wonders of nature and its magical powers and abilities, this is a superb soundtrack to a long walk through the woods or when in quiet and deep contemplation. As evidenced by the energetic "Four Winds" and the stunning "Feather in the Wind", the harmonies are strong and the warm, organic sound of the opus has an almost earthy and rustic vibe to it. The haunting "Darker Shade of Black" is an atmospheric delight and closing track "Second Element" is a spellbinding and imaginative composition. The highlight is undoubtedly "The Twisted Oak" though and it is truly moving and heartfelt (not to mention extremely catchy) – both musically and lyrically. The least captivating tunes are "Der Letzte Musketier" and "Going to the Faire" with the former feeling slightly superfluous to some extent as it adds very little to the LP.
The contrasts work well on the disc and so things move seamlessly from the uplifting and joyful to the slightly melancholier and more introspective. Immersing oneself in "Nature’s Light" is akin to traveling back to simpler times and it is a reflective piece of work that lends itself well to the tranquil moments in life. The digibook release is pretty neat in that it includes a second disc containing some of the act’s classic and most treasured songs from their back catalogue. I had almost forgotten how brilliant "Streets of London" and the "Under a Violet Moon" title track are, so this was a most welcome bonus. Regardless of whether you are already familiar with Blackmore’s Night or simply curious as to what they sound like, "Nature’s Light" comes highly recommended.