Sacred Spirit, Vol. 2: More Chants and Dances of Native

1	Intro (Gods And Heroes) / Brave 1:31
2	Looking Far North / Brave 4:18
3	Dela Dela / Brave 4:42
4	Land Of Promise / Brave 5:47
5	The State Of Grace / Brave 4:27
6	Yane-Heja-Hee / Brave 4:50
7	A-La-Ke / Brave 4:42
8	May You Walk In Sunshine / Brave 3:58
9	The Spirit / Brave 3:04
10	O-Loa-Ki-Lee / Brave 3:19
11	That Noble Dream / Brave 4:52
12	The Sad Eyed Chief / Brave 4:06

Barnes & Noble

The second Sacred Spirit album by that enigmatic individual known as the Fearsome Brave (a.k.a. Germany's Claus Zundel) once again wraps various heartening Native American chants in an array of ambient grooves, orchestral arrangements, and electronica. As stated the liner notes, "Some things are better left unexplained," and Zundel indeed chooses to forgo the listing of most sources, performers, and translations. It's up to the listener to determine what it all means, and although the evasion of detail in this approach may smack a bit of imperialism, the album is nonetheless exciting and elevating. Noble orchestral sweeps ride along on a pulsing, ambient bass as instrumental breaks -- featuring solo violin, cello, piano, and Native American flute -- add emotional impact, and sounds of wind, water, and birds incorporate the presence of nature. A breathtaking zephyr of winds and pow-wow chants opens the album on "Intro: Gods & Heroes," and the engaging group singing on "A-La-Ka" and the conga-driven "Land of Promise," are upbeat, but the prevailing emotional tone is one of solemnity. A melancholy wooden flute refrain walks over a somber blues riff bass pattern on "The Sad Eyed Chief," which then fades out with a spoken proclamation from an old-timer and a military snare drum cadence. Thorny as its attitude towards crediting may be, an overall feeling of respect for Native American music and cultures nonetheless makes Sacred Spirit II a winner. Carol Wright

All Music Guide

After the success of Sacred Spirit, Higher Octave delivers more of the same with Sacred Spirit, Vol. 2: More Chants and Dances of the Native Americans. As with the first volume, this collection presents spare, hypnotic Native American chants augmented with electronic beats, keyboards, and other modern instruments. The mix of these elements is particularly potent on "Looking Far North," which contrasts a rolling melody with female vocals and a sparser, more rhythmic part chanted by a male vocalist, and on "May You Walk in Sunshine," a mix of flutes, strings, and sung and chanted vocals. While Sacred Spirit, Vol. 2 doesn't offer the purest incarnation of Native American music, it is a pleasant and occasionally unique update on these ancient sounds. Heather Phares