An excursion into Celtic music,
Michael Card does well to convert his glossy brand of acoustic CCM into another hue on the praise & worship spectrum, expanding his textural palette while not alienating his fan base. Certainly not likely to be mistaken for a truly traditional Celtic set akin to
the Chieftains, as
Card steers the project into rather safe territory with neither the instrumental virtuosity nor the vigor of conventional artists in the genre, his reinterpretation of traditional Celtic melodies are fresh and appealing, if not entirely groundbreaking. Undeniably pleasant, with all the fiddles, harps, flutes, and pipes you might expect,
Card just doesn't have the vocal expressiveness or enthusiasm to keep the arrangements from occasionally sounding somewhat flat and stilted. Still, for fans of contemporary Christian music wanting a slight change of pace but not a dramatic departure,
Starkindler should altogether suffice. ~ Matt Fink