After the success of
Sacred Spirit, Higher Octave delivers more of the same with
Sacred Spirit, Vol. 2: More Chants and Dances of the Native Americans. As with the first volume, this collection presents spare, hypnotic Native American chants augmented with electronic beats, keyboards, and other modern instruments. The mix of these elements is particularly potent on "Looking Far North," which contrasts a rolling melody with female vocals and a sparser, more rhythmic part chanted by a male vocalist, and on "May You Walk in Sunshine," a mix of flutes, strings, and sung and chanted vocals. While
Sacred Spirit, Vol. 2 doesn't offer the purest incarnation of Native American music, it is a pleasant and occasionally unique update on these ancient sounds. ~ Heather Phares