Search - Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh :: Daybreak: Fainne an Lae

Brilliant, fun, and moving

J. H. Peterson | Kasson, MN USA | 03/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I first heard Muireann on Danu's "The Road Less Travelled" CD, she instantly became my favorite female vocalist (well maybe a tie with Blossom Dearie). I have been unsuccessful at obtaining a copy of her self-produced first CD, which I have seen fetch exorbitant prices on eBay. I was thus very excited to hear that she was releasing this CD. My high expectations were not disappointed. This CD has a wide range of material which should please almost anyone. For the aficionado of traditional Irish folk music, her whistling on tracks 4 and 10 is fast, lively, energetic,and brilliantly ornamented. Like the rest of the CD, these tracks are enriched tastefully by the accompaniment -- in this case by Tony Byrne. Other tracks are also complemented by top artists such as Oisin McAuley and John Doyle. Tracks 1 and 5 have more of a pop sound than trad, and should have appeal beyond the traditionalists. Track 12 is a very powerful and emotive rendition of this well known song -- well worth the price of the CD by itself (the same can be said about County Down and especially Farewell Farewell on the Road Less Travelled). Other tracks are lively and fun, such as "Free and Easy". Track 3 is a traditional Gaelic lullaby, every bit as lovely and moving as Maura O'Connell's rendition of Dun Do Shuil. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with this CD. Hopefully she will still be sharing her voice and instrumentals with us into her seventies (like Blossom)."

Beautiful!

Sinead NiC | Germany | 04/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a great CD! I particularly loved "Seoith?n Seoth?" and "An Spealad?ir." My husband got me this CD (along with the also wonderful "Somewhere Along the Road" by Cathie Ryan) and I've been playing it constantly. Normally he prefers male singers (like Christy Moore, whom I also love) but he has also been playing this CD.

"

In the steps of Sandy Denny

John L Murphy | Los Angeles | 01/28/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After two records with Danú, and songs on a record in which each band member made separate contributions, this is the logical next step. Compared to Sandy Denny, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh also entered a young ensemble of talented musicians and steered it in a more accessible, if less daring, direction. Like Denny, Nic Amhlaoibh possesses a clear, pleasant, and steady voice suited to both traditional and MOR soft rock tunes. Also, she favors interpretations of efforts by contemporary songwriters along with a selection of traditional and traditionally- inspired tracks. Fairport Convention moved under Denny first into folk-rock and then continued with it even as Denny grew restless and left to craft a folk-pop blend suiting her gentle delivery. Suitably, this album includes the traditional song "The Banks of the Nile," first made famous when Denny covered it with her post-Fairport mates in Fotheringay. Nic Amhlaoibh has shifted Danú from a fiery, all-male traditional group into a band whose songs increasingly resembled Denny's own more intimate solo work. Gerry O'Beirne plays guitar on the two tracks he wrote, "Western Highway," which as sung by Maura O'Connell had appeared on the RTÉ "Bringing It All Back Home" series and album, and "The Isle of Malachy." "Persuasion," written by Richard Thompson and Tim Finn, likewise continues the association of Fairport and contemporary singer-songwriter folk-rockers with her own intentions to make an album still rooted in mostly traditional songs, both in English and Irish, but with enough popular tunes to appeal to a wider audience.



Nic Amhlaoibh's versions recall O'Connell in her wistful, almost casual approach. The songs on Daybreak avoid drama, and Nic Amhlaoibh is content to create more of a lingering sense of calm. Despite the presence of Shane McGowan's guitar on five tracks, little intensity emerges. This is a consistent and polished album, but designed for those listeners seeking less concentration on only traditional Irish tunes, while not as dramatic a shift into MOR as earlier singers as Denny and O'Connell themselves made in earlier decades. But Nic Amhlaoibh's next album, if judging from the sheen applied to this self-produced collection, may reveal such a transition from trad to folk to pop. (Review appeared on rootsworld.com)"