Jackie Leven
"Night Lilies"
(Thirsty Ear)
The forgotten Celtic soul brother is back! Jackie Leven has been making music for more than three full decades, most notoriously in the late seventies with the neglected glam rock ensemble Doll By Doll. A man of deep convictions and with a history of trials and tribulations, Leven has reinvented himself on more than one occasion. In the mid-nineties he founded CORE, a holistic drug and alcohol rehabilitation service in the UK. Leven also aligned himself with Robert Bly and the Mytho-Poetic Men's Movement. With a small but impressive batch of solo albums now under his belt, Leven is at it again with "Night Lilies." In the grand tradition of expressive singers like Van Morrison, Leven embraces his lush, lyrical muse with unabashed romanticism. On "Alvis Green" Leven melds a sea-shanty melody with ulilean pipes and whistles for a dramatic peek at tragic love affair. Leven's voice is deep and his lyrics even deeper. On songs like "Universal Blue" and "Deep Choking Wooded Death Fix," his poetic nature is simultaneously vulnerable and wise. With ornate and delicate instrumentation, Leven weaves compelling tales of bittersweet love as well as examining life's inevitable experiences with loss. While Leven is bold enough to face the difficult and nostalgic memories of his past, he is also optimistic about man's short existence on Earth. He appreciates nature as much as he documents the small passion plays that make up most of our lives. An extravagant yet humble collection of songs, "Night Lilies" is Leven at his emotive best. Tortured one moment and exultant the next, Jackie Leven is the voice of truth if you're strong (or gentle) enough to handle it.
by Mitch Myers
copyright 1999 New City Communications, Inc.