Search - Maireid Sullivan :: Dancers

Best Celtic album I've ever heard...

Bessie Lambert | Bangor, Maine | 01/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Drawing upon the traditions of Irish and Celtic music, as well as her own original songs, Mairéid's distinctive voice is full of passion, warmth, and wisdom. She possesses a sweet sultry voice, who some compare to Enya, but Mairéid doesn't need to rely on all the overdubs, and reverb to get her enchanting songs across. Mairéid is capable of translating her music into a joyous musical adventure which speaks simultaneously of Ireland's past, its hope for the new millennium, and the artist's own belief in the promise of love and our right to be worthy of happiness. Her remarkable voice soars out in a rich wave of sensual and mesmerizing sound which totally captivates the listener. On each song, the band intuitively knows just what to do to support Mairéid's angelic voice. Donal Lunny , a former Planxty and Bothy Band member, along with the other members of the group provide superb instrumental backing which compliment Mairéid's vocals well, never overbearing, always supportive . Doug Brady does an excellent job recording and mixing the album. His finely tuned ear brings out the best qualities in every track. Mairéid's original songs are intelligent and thought provoking, blending ancient Celtic influences with new forms of poetry and instrumentation in a magical and memorable way. The first song on the album, one of Mairéid's originals; "Colour Me", is a beautiful well arranged ballad reminding us to cherish and appreciate what we have each day. The vocal harmonies with Kavish Mazzella are hauntingly beautiful, with Matthew Arnold's violin weaving in and out of the melody with restrained charm and grace. The band sets the mood perfectly with their understated playing and sensitivity. "Feeling Wings", is a traditional Uilleann Pipe melody, that Mairéid put to lyrics. It's a beautiful poetic piece about looking within ourselves to solve our problems instead of going to war. The bands arrangement is well-knit and comes together nicely. Next we hear a medley of the traditional ballad"The Eriskay Love Liltt " and a short instrumental piece "An'Dro " that really tugs at the heart. The first segment is a romantic traditional Scottish tune about a distant love which exquisitely segues into a short instrumental which was originally Scottish, and later adapted by the Briton tradition. The interpretation is flawless. This is followed by the title,"Dancer", which the longest song on the album running a bit over eight minutes. Mairéid wrote the lyrics and melody of this tantric and hypnotic song. Invision a hybrid of Celtic music,Indian raga, and Arabic Oud music. It en-trances and seduces the listener in an intoxicating rhythm that skips back and forth between dream and reality. The next song, one of my favorites since childhood, is the traditional ballad "Waly Waly, (The Water is Wide ). This is the finest version I've ever heard with the passionate voice of Mairéid backed by the simple but elegant accompaniment of dobro, guitar, and keyboard. The sparse arrangement brings to mind the Delta blues of Sleepy John Este. Another standout composition on this amazing album is another original tune by Mairéid called "I Believe in Love". It's a plaintiff ballad that grabs your heart from the first note. The mandola and harmonica played by Andy Irvine set the mood perfectly. "Connamara Cradle Song" was one of my favorites. Doug DeVries begins with some beautiful guitar and Cavaquinho (miniature Portuguese guitar). Mairéid's evocative voice is brilliantly augmented by Gary Costello on plucked and bowed double bass, Dicky Deegan on Uilleann pipes and Donal Lunny on keyboards. "Time" is perhaps the most intellectually stimulating piece on the disc. Mairéid wrote the thought provoking lyrics to this song inspired by California author, Robert A. Johnson's series of books on the relationship of ancient mythology to modern psychology. As Mairéid explains; "the myths of old relate to our experience today, e.g. humans experience the same sun setting through all time." The album closes with the haunting "She Moved Through the Fair", the perfect closing number to a perfect album. All in all, "Dancer" is a magical experience full of inspired performances. Don't miss it!"

Good and calm moments.

Carlos Urtasun Estanga | Pamplona, Navarra Spain | 08/31/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The voice of Maireid Sullivan, the masters of Lunny, the uilleann pipe of Deegan, the support of Irvine, the band...All it makes of Dancer a great album.Recommendable."