Candice Night: Sea Glass

FTC Statement: Reviewers are frequently provided by the publisher/production company with a copy of the material being reviewed.The opinions published are solely those of the respective reviewers and may not reflect the opinions of CriticalBlast.com or its management.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. (This is a legal requirement, as apparently some sites advertise for Amazon for free. Yes, that's sarcasm.)

Submitted by Dennis Russo on Wed, 10/08/2025 - 08:13

Sea Glass, Candice Night’s third solo album (not including 2002’s limited single Alone with Fate), released on Minstrel Hall Music, is a wonderful collection of songs that showcases not only her beautiful voice but also her equally wonderful songwriting and storytelling talents. These talents span the ages (and I do mean the Ages) and genres as well.

From the moment the first song, Sea Glass, begins with waves washing over the shore, I was transported to another place. The lyrics and arrangements—especially Ritchie’s acoustic guitar—highlight her vocals in an echoey, ethereal way. To me, the song tells the story of someone remembering what once was before it all fell apart, scattered like broken pieces in the ocean, yet ultimately finding a way to pull it back together—to make it back to land as something beautiful again. Different than she once was, but just as beautiful. It is both tragic and beautiful at the same time, and the way it ends—with the outro returning to waves rolling onto the shore—is perfection.

Perhaps my favorite song on the album is Unsung Hero. It carries the flavor and feeling of a Blackmore’s Night song but with a more contemporary touch. Unlike the first song, it tells of a strong woman who rises above everything that comes her way to protect herself and everyone she loves: “If dragons come along she will slay every last one, and they will speak her name in fear.” Brilliant! I don’t recall ever hearing a song quite like this before. Every wife and mother is an unsung hero, and here, she’s finally being sung about.

One of the loveliest songs on the album is The Line Between. It’s a touching piece about a woman who rushes to the bedside of someone taken too soon. The song recalls memories of their life together before that day and how she still loves them even as life continues on. What I take from this song is that the love of someone dear never ends when they’re gone. You never stop thinking of them, and those memories—enduring that love—help you continue on. The only other song that strikes a similar chord for me is A Visitor from Heaven by Twila Paris, which remains one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. I put The Line Between right up there with it. Candice sings, “Lost too soon, the stars fill the sky like the tears in my eyes.” How she manages to capture a lifetime of emotions—happiness, fear, sadness, love, and hope—in just a few minutes is amazing. OMG, if this song doesn’t move you, you’ve got no heart!

Changing gears, a very cool song on this album is Promise Me. It’s sung from the perspective of a mother to her children, encouraging them to go out and become everything they want to be. When the children respond back, it’s Candice’s own kids doing the singing! Hands down, that’s brilliant songwriting and arranging in my book.

There’s also a wonderful instrumental on the album called Dark Carnival, which has a great Blackmore’s Night–meets–John Carpenter feel—eerily wonderful, with a recurring theme that lingers long after it ends.

When I Want to Fly is another song that, to me, is a true minstrel-style Blackmore’s Night piece in sound, feel, and lyrics. It adds beautifully to the mix of tunes this album offers, and the recording quality is so clear you can hear the fingers moving along the acoustic guitar’s fretboard.

Showcasing her musical versatility, Candice performs Angel & Jezebel in two versions: one with a rock beat and another as a “Back Porch” version that evokes the feel of old friends gathered around, playing country music. Each version stands happily on its own two feet.

Song after song on this album is beautifully arranged and mastered—as I find all of her and Blackmore’s Night’s albums to be. (Whoever their sound engineer is, they’re brilliant!) Each track encapsulates her voice to perfection.

I also love that her husband (and, as anyone who knows music will know, Ritchie Blackmore) plays on a couple of songs—Sea Glass and Last Goodbye—though you’d never know it at first, because these songs aren’t about his playing. That’s not to downplay his incredible talent in any way, shape, or form. It’s just that his playing complements Candice’s voice, as do all the instruments. This album is hers—through and through.

There are many wonderful women singers in the world, past and present, with amazing voices—more than I could ever list here. But there are only a few I consider to have truly beautiful voices, voices that are almost beyond description, that could melt cold steel. Voices that make you go, “Wow.” I put Candice right up there with Karen Carpenter, Diana Panton, Pat Benatar, Eva Cassidy, and Judy Collins—voices that sound perfect to my soul, whether singing a mellow ballad or a rocking anthem. Her voice, lyrics, and arrangements always seem to paint vivid pictures I don’t have to imagine; I can see the stories unfolding before me—and they’re beautiful.

I could easily write about every song on this album, such is the emotion and imagery each one evokes, but I won’t. Everyone should have the joy of discovery for themselves—to go in not knowing what to expect and then be transported, as I was, into the landscapes Candice has created for us.

Am I gushing about this album? Why, yes, of course I am—no apologies whatsoever! Who wouldn’t, when such talent and a voice come together to create a heartfelt, beautiful album you can’t stop listening to? You tell me—who wouldn’t? I say, gush away!

Highly recommended.

Songs: