Fragments of a daydream
Whisperin 'n Hollerin (Ireland).... a vivid and beautifully-realised project which captivates even allowing for the absence of voices. Opener 'Bartski' is a great, drama-filled introduction and sets the tone beautifully for the shape-shifting landscapes visited by the album as it rolls along.
There's an inherently cinematic quality to Bartley's work and, yes, you can imagine pretty much all of these wonderfully atmospheric set pieces working in conjunction with movies
The album's title might suggest something sketchy and vague, but the resulting fourteen tracks are fully-realised, chameleonic and frequently sublime. Tim Peacock (9/10)
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Westzeit (Germany)...a few years ago when Vaudeville was released I was raving about a truly original discovery. The follow-up, though exclusively instrumental, in no way diminishes the beauty and appeal of the Bartley's music. This man certainly deserves more recognition (4/5)
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Press reaction to Vaudeville and Listen to the Soundwaves
Hot Press (Ireland). … .a masterly and wonderfully original storyteller and one of the country's best-kept secrets. Few have managed to make their music sound quite as majestic and emotionally charged Tanya Sweeney
Taz (Germany) In his music Aidan
Bartley has managed to mould grandezza, opulence and subtlety into
a portable format. Alongside Tom Waits and Nick Cave records Listen
to the Soundwaves does not sound one bit out of place. Thomas Mauk
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Whisperin 'n Hollerin (Ireland).....Aidan Bartley has quietly been sliding masterpieces into the marketplace since 1997.Finely balanced between dignified, emotive songs and evocative instrumentals, "Vaudeville" is based primarily around Bartley’s piano and stirring, but subtle and sparing strings. It’s opulent and sometimes rich, yet while it’s perhaps a little too austere to be described as ‘lush’ that’s not a problem as the arrangements are all pretty much spot-on,
Aidan Bartley’s music is riddled with enigma and atmosphere, yet always remains warm and human. He can be melancholic, romantic or haunting, yet he always convinces. Tim Peacock
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Visions (Spain).. Astounding is the best term to describe
Listen to the Soundwaves, a CD that immerses us in a torrent of
emotions …combining the magic of Dead can Dance, the melancholy
of Roger Waters, the intimacy of Peter Hammill and the romanticism
of Michael Nynam. Eduardo Aragon
CD Street (USA)…….Brilliant songs and arrangements. Cuts right through the dross. An ambitious work revealing great talent, top shelf production and musicianship Kathleen Jack
Tagespiegel (Germany) …twelve
beautiful, opulent songs in musical kinship to outstanding artists
like Tindersticks or Michael Nyman. Christian Schroeder
Tip (Germany) (Listen to the soundwaves)……wonderfully elegant, ethereal sounds. Kai Schmidt
Taz (Germany) Beautifully constructed
songs that follow, in their casual elegance, a musical pathway already
tread by the likes of Calexico, Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave..Thomas
Mauk
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Tip (Germany)..14 sublimely, atmospheric
songs by the Belfast-born songwriter who long been regarded in the
folk, pop and film music scene as the musician's musician.
Markus von Schwerin
Interview with Aidan Bartley in PhonMag
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