Just Another Diamond Day (studio album) by Vashti Bunyan

Enjoyable

Gentle folk sounding like soundtrack to the fairytale.

What a beautiful voice she has and the control she possesses over it is astonishing. She always seems to be on the edge of breaking her vocal but she rarely does giving us a suspenseful and special performance that is really difficult to achieve. She guides us through the album with her delicate voice which is backed up by some great lyrics as well. She creates her own worlds for us to be able to explore and she is a phenomenal storyteller. The instrumentation is a perfect accompaniment to her voice and it fits the style of music so well. We are treated to some brilliant performances from the fiddle, harp, piano, organ, guitar, mandolin amongst many more which make this record so unique. It feels classic and like the sound of a time long forgotten when you would stroll through forests and grassland for hours and we were not held back by the constraints of modern day society. If I was going to make one criticism it would be that the music doesn't flow from one song to the next very well and that can give the album a bit of a stop start feel. Overall, this is a special album that transports you to places and is fantastic at making you forget your troubles with its innocent and beautiful sound which makes this album a must listen.

From Jboy56 03/24/2022 18:33

Very sweet and beautiful..

Indescribable. It feels so real while being so fantastical. Between the world of the real and world world of make believe; Vashti transports the mind on her journey north across the English countryside with such vivid detail and attention that listening is equal to that of being there with her. A shame it never enters the lexicon of greatest albums ever made, but its exclusivity makes it an even brighter gem because of it.

From Repo 05/06/2017 03:45

A PAGAN HOLIDAY

We’ve lost connection with the land. It’s brooks. It’s valleys. The wild grasses blowing in the wind. Which is a shame because their is real magic in the hillsides. Magic deep in the earth that was meant to mother us and keep us safe. Ground us against the stress of the world. The feel of the grass under your bare feet. Your toes wiggling into the mud of some tide pool. Lying down on a meadow and getting completely lost in the clouds and the deep blue of the sky. Hell, just running across a meadow with wild, unfettered abandon. All of this is powerful medicine. For your soul.

Vashti know this. She invites you back to the land. Her voice is joyous and free as it plays with the wind and sings to the birds. But, she doesn’t really sing. She skips. Like a little girl down the lane. Spreading joy & gaiety wherever she goes. Turning frowns into smiles on the old men stooped on the village benches down by the square. You know such children. You know their power. You can’t help but smile. And smiles believe it or not are magic.

For Vashti is the kindred spirit to the childlike Maria in The Sound of Music. Able to bring heartfelt joy and boundless energy just by singing on some random hillside meadow. She knows the power of being truly free to let loose. Getting completely lost in the songs and the music and just twirling around & around until you fall down. Laughing as you tumble in the hillside grasses. Leaves and grasses stuck to your hair and your clothes. A reckless abandonment that is cathartic. Curative. And spiritual. More spiritual than spending days in some convent. That the real power is outside. And just singing and smiling with all your heart can in & of itself bring about magic. And turn a boring, downcast life into one of childlike whimsy & wonder. Just ask Maria. Just ask Vashti.

Grade: A. Some of the most heartfelt & joyous folk music ever produced. Their is childlike wonder in these songs. An invitation to simpler times. When people were happy with less and content with the simple pleasures of life. A life unhurried. When you were not too busy to idly chat with your neighbor about a whole lot of nothing. A time when neighbors actually borrowed eggs & butter from each other when they ran out. When we were not afraid of each other. Of making eye contact. Of making connections. Because we knew the true value of time. Theirs a lot of playful power in these songs, and it unhurriedly skips and sings along all the way to number five.

One of the most breathtaking and honest albums I've heard

From sssvnnn 03/20/2016 08:12

Touching songs with a small personal voice.

From NowhereMan 09/07/2014 23:27

One of the shortest, and possibly the sweetest thing I've ever heard.

From NowhereMan 09/07/2014 23:04

This would accompany a lovely country walk, followed by a pub lunch perfectly. A typical British sunday, in fact.