Coming Soon to a Nation Near You

Seven Nations (Atlantic)

Seven Nations

By Kory Wilcoxson

You know you're about to listen to some world music when the drummer of the band is named Ashton Geoghagan. The credits for this album have more Macs in it than an Apple factory. And if you need to be beat upside the head with a bagpipe to get the idea, one of the songs is "O'er the Moor and Among the Heather." Only Europeans say "o'er."

Surprise! This is a group of good ol' Americans (only American say "ol'"), doing their best (and it's pretty darn good) to be a Celtic rock band. They elude the trap of simply sounding like background music for the Lord of the Dance by combining their musical heritage with songwriting savvy and high energy. They blend together vocal and instrumental tracks well enough that the listener doesn't get tired of either, and they even throw in an obscure but nicely done cover of The Church's "Under the Milky Way." These guys are so hip that one of them plays the electric bagpipes. Old world musicality meets new world technology, and it works.

Seven Nations, tireless tourers, also have a live disc out to accompany their studio effort that lifts up the high spots and allows the boys to go on some extended free-style jam sessions (who knew that electric bagpipes could wail?).