A New Beginning CD Review
Woven Wheat Whispers UK “A New Beginning” fuses contemporary adult pop, with folk and rock music to create a soulful and uplifting sound. Both Trish and Dave share vocal responsibilities, with the former playing sax and flageolet while the latter concentrates on guitars and synthesizer. All the songs on the album are self compositions … that will reveal different aspects of their rich and varied sound. Right the Wrongs is the album's opening number and is a fine catchy track. Take note of the powerful and complimentary vocal styles and some effective jaunty flageolet playing as the song unfolds. After hearing it, you are sure to understand why Sahara are as equally popular in folk and rock circles. The title track follows and has an optimistic lyric with a universal message of hope. It is the quality of songs such as this that The Age referred to when saying "Their inspirational music .... is a celebration of hope dreams and love". The Promise…immediately you are aware of Trish and Dave's Irish roots and this melancholy instrumental is a sublime piece of music.
Sahara Live @ The Malthouse CD Reviews
The West Australian "These songs by Melbourne-based duo Sahara would sound quite spectacular with the full treatment from some of the world's biggest names. So Special has a spontaneous flow that's suited to the Band. The storylines often lend themselves to alternate voices which is Sahara's major strength. Whether it's Dave's lead on the sensuous You're My Lover or Trish's breathy whisper on Celtic Love Poem the atmospheres are subtly different. The lyrical definition of the acoustic guitar, the recorder and the tin whistle serve a fervently Irish flavour but the soulfulness is universal" (TR)
hEARd Australia "This is an exceptionally diverse collection of songs from Victorian based duo Sahara, consisting of Irish natives Trish & Dave, who have concocted a wildly varying array of tunes, running from the more traditional soft rock to a near-folk style which has a surprising effect. The pair have already garnered themselves some excellent work behind them & the recording found on this CD was recorded live at the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne. There are a few moments when the softer edged rock comes out, none more exceptional than the opener "No Man's Land", which is a great track & well placed at the head of the album, though I'm more partial to the band's more pop/jazz oriented styles, such as "You're My Lover" & "Higher Than High", while my real pick is the very unusual flavour of "Celtic Love Poem", as the title suggests, a real folk/celtic sort of influence. I'd certainly be checking this band out as soon as possible. They already have a pretty decent profile as far as having one prior release & some serious press & media engagements behind them. Well worth your while, providing a number of diverse styles to whet your aural appetite."
Irish Bands Live UK "Out of OZ come two exceptional musicians with a mixture of contemporary /jazzy /Rock /folk / sound, which leaves you tingling with anticipation of what the next track will bring. Trish plays alto and soprano sax, recorder and tin whistle plus vocals. Dave plays guitar and keyboard plus vocals. NO MANS LAND This has a sound between Rock & Jazz with a good beat that wouldn't go amiss at a rock concert in Hyde Park. SO SPECIAL A love ballad superbly performed, so put on the headphones you won't want to be disturbed. Close your eyes, lay back, and listen to the superb mellow sound of the Sax and when its finished hit the button and play it all over again. These guys have really got their act together Dave's rock vocals are tremendous with Trish's sexy jazzy voice combines to give this album a superb vocal line which pleases the ear and sooths the mind. This all adds to the exceptional instrumental talents, which are shown throughout the album. The sax playing is to die for and if this album doesn't get your feet tapping you must be stone deaf or dead. Credit for this album should also go to the sound engineer Mark Barry of B.S Sounds who has made a live album sound like a studio production. Dave & Trish also wrote the lyrics and music to this album so keep an eye out for future releases".
The Edge Bendigo ".. Sometimes the best things come along when you least expect it. The spontaneous live feel of the CD is an asset and the duo's range which skims jazz, pop, ballads and Celtic ensures a wide listening variety. The depth of sound is impressive, particularly when you realise it is the work of just two people. Tracks include the jazzy Deja Vu, the Celtic ballad Celtic Love Poem, and an ode to the Irish pair's adopted home city, called Livin' in Melbourne.
Sahara Vision CD Reviews
The Age "For singer guitarist Dave Long and singer-saxophonist-flautist Trish, their inspirational music, a tidy blend of folk, rock and soul is a celebration of hope, dreams and love.... the duo are now busy performing the breezy,somewhat Doobie Brothers-ish Make My Day, the deeply atmospheric Vision of Glory and sprightly Lets Try Peace at various venues.... Sahara maintain an occasional New Age sense of awe through the use of synth and wind instruments and a healthy litany of enthusiastic calls and responses between the spirited singers"
Late Nite TV USA “Dave and Trish from Sahara originated from Dublin but now call Australia home enlightening Aussies with a special brand of music taking inspiration from both music within the Northern and the Southern hemispheres. Sahara is what I call "organic music", with earthly aural tones of honesty, beauty, driving a very Celtic feel within all tunes on Vision. Dave has an almost eerie "Sting" feel to his vocals, whilst Trish's singing is very akin to the very popular and respected Ellen Foley. This is a great CD for an empowering efficacious effect with each and every listen.” Reviewer: Melanie Score:
The Border Mail "Sahara's album is a good example of music with meaning. Each song has been carefully crafted to convey a message. From the uptempo beat of "Make My Day" to the melody of "Save A Little Love", this album is one worth adding to your collection."
The Advertiser Adelaide " Bright optimism jumps right out of this disc Make my Day and while the heritage is Irish through and through, the vocal harmonies of Melbourne vocalist - guitarist Dave Long and partner in life Trish do more than make you want to tear the tin off a Guinness. The Floyd - esque Vision Of Glory is an emotive, haunting refrain from the jumping main vein, which relies on a high vibe, even with uncool rock instruments like flute and tin whistle (sorry, Trish)...The bounding, punchy percussive element in Party Time shows the kind of groovin' diversity...
The Planet Newspaper "...Originally from Ireland Sahara began producing Vision around five years ago. The result is an album rich in a variety of musical genres, ranging from soulful ballads like "I Found you", a love ballad that is sure to be a favorite for swooning lovers, to jazz influenced tunes like "We All Believe" and "Are You?" For disco fans, there is even a groovy disco tune, "Partytime", that will take you back to the 70's dance floor. Of course this CD would not be complete without an Irish Tune and Sahara indulges our senses with "Tears", one of the highlights of the album. It is a soft, murmuring instrumental that will take you to far away Celtic lands. Overall the final result is certainly worth listening to....".
The Crack ".... The debut CD from this Dublin duo is an eclectic mix of styles and sounds...to describe the musical style would be a task in itself but to this musical ear it falls somewhere between funk and folksy jazz, if you get my drift...the flute and sax playing of Trish adds an interesting almost dimension to the sound and coupled with Dave's rock/pop vocal range only adds to the charm of this debut CD... all in all a fine debut".
Leader Newspaper Group "... an interesting mix of music...from songs brimming with energy and passionate vocals to touching instrumentals such as the celtic "Tears, A unique blend of rock, folk, jazz and classical make "Vision" a must for Irish music lovers"