Ethereal

The five-member band Ethereal has produced a fine effort in their ten-song album Changed the Same. Featuring a sound that instantly draws the inevitable comparisons to Caedmon’s Call, Ethereal delivers the goods with great vocals by both Stokes and Connie Skellie.

With Changed the Same, you get what you would expect from a good folk-pop album: lots of acoustic guitars, violin solos, and toe-tapping rhythms. The lyrics are straight up inspirational and simple, yet direct and well conceived

High points of Changed the Same include the trilling piano ballad “Never,” and Connie Skellie’s lead vocals on “More Than Enough.” She has the perfect voice, sweet and innocent, not quite of the childlike Julie Miller variety, but captivating.

Any fan of Caedmon’s or any folk band for that matter will want to get this album. Changed the Same will not turn any heads with its inventiveness, but at the same time will not drive anyone away either. Solid folk music from a sold group.

Noel Lloyd 2/15/2004

- The Phantom Tollbooth

What an incredible album! It's so rare to find a band where all the voices are good enough to stand on their own, but Ethereal appears to be one of those. It's also rare to bring together great voices and have them work well together but again, Ethereal succeeds in doing so. There's not a weak song on this album but if you're like me, a few of the songs will really take your breath away. "Coming Round," "More Than Enough," and "You are There" are a few of these. Ethereal has clearly put an incredible amount of effort into achieving just the right sound while delivering a powerful message. Changed the Same is a great album!

- Will - Good Theology (fan review)

Tending Both Sides
Artist: Ethereal
Label: Independent
Time: 15 tracks/51:43 minutes

"Artists don’t like to categorize their music," an editor of a local publication said to me. Reporters and reviewers are subject to that temptation, but even when I tried, I found it hard to categorize the music of Ethereal. The dictionary defines the word ethereal as light, airy or tenuous. Another meaning is extremely delicate or refined.

Light and airy seems fitting. Ethereal is predominantly acoustic with a contemporary pop/folk sound. The bass, drums and even electric guitar keep them from falling into more traditional folk and bluegrass categories. Violin is consistent and sometimes central, bringing to mind the work of the late sixties group, It’s A Beautiful Day. The combined presence of mandolin, dobro, the occasional use of hand percussion, and intricate music, makes them sound Celtic without the pipes and whistles. It’s a category that they could easily fill, but then they wouldn’t be themselves.

Their music is punctuated by refined and sometimes delicate guitar picking and strumming. Some songs border on light rock, making me want to compare them with a mellower and less Celtic, Ceili Rain. Though there are two more ethereal-sounding instrumentals, it would be a mistake to associate this band with low whistles, dreamy soundscapes and layered background vocals.

Vocals alternate between husband and wife, Stokes and Connie Skellie, and the main songwriter, Corey Nolen. Lyrically the band offers some uncommon reflections. On "Where Do You Go?" there is a twist to the usual idea of finding refuge in the storm. "Don’t seek your shelter from the storm . . . a little pain might just bring a change of heart."

Those who feel like life is leaving them behind will cherish "Same Old Streets." It gives voice to the thought that everybody knows some secret that they don’t. "You Are There," one of the band’s most requested songs, is a thoughtful expression of praise. It’s piano-driven and evokes comfort, affirming that God is present when the lions threaten to devour us.

This being their sophomore effort, the band’s website offers an explanation for the title. "We named the CD _Tending Both Sides_ because often times we are called to share an unchanging and satisfying message to a swaying and unfulfilled world. Just like the suspension bridge connecting two sides, we are stretched with the tension of being the mediators of expressing the Truth of the Gospel with all its mercy, grace and holiness to the other side of the spectrum, which hosts the needy, tried, and broken of the world."

They also bridge the gap between several different styles of music, which makes categorization so difficult. In the end, the comparisons and attempts to define fall short. Ethereal deserves credit for developing a unique sound. However, if you appreciate a Christian worldview and thoughtful folk/pop with diversity and punch, you will probably like this. - Phantom Tollbooth