Magpie - Seed on the Prairie

Marking 20 years of making music together for the duo of Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino, this album, like others before it, features strong political material, touching on relevant topics such as the environment ("White Wings"), human rights ("How Long?"), aboriginal issues ("Live Like a Prayer"), and the attempt to reclaim some sense of the spirituality of the earth ("The Eagle and the Hawk"). The major lyrical theme is indeed this link between native spirituality and reverence for the environment. Magpie performs tasteful but understated instrumental work, with the guitar prominent and some assistance on harmonica, mandolin, dulcimer, drum, and Native American flute. This appropriately pushes the words and singing to the forefront. In fact, one of the standouts is the chilling, but wonderfully-presented, unaccompanied piece "Yellow Metal", and there are strong vocal harmonies on tracks like "Swimming to the Other Side". Seed on the Prairie is a testament to a duo who make music not just because they can, but in order to tell the stories of our time. (IE)

1) Swimming to the Other Side
2) The Eagle and the Hawk
3) Yellow Metal
4) Live Like a Prayer
5) White Wings
6) Seed on the Prairie
7) Circle of Stone
8) Deva's Dance
9) You Were Right
10) Heaven Is Less Than Fair
11) Take Me Back to Harpers Ferry
12) How Long?
13) The Chestnut
14) Rachel
15) Guardians of a Higher Ground
16) We Belong to the Earth