Search - Roger Drawdy and The Firestarters :: Open Seas, Empty Skies

Sign Me Up As A New Fan

M. Barker | Cincinnati, OH | 09/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Not having a great exposure to Celtic music or Irish Folk Rock, I have none in my music inventory. However, after hearing the Firestarters at a festival their new CD became a must have.



There music is fresh, greatly arranged and performed by a very talented group. The lyrics as well are telling and enjoyable.

(The lyrics of "Stand Today" while obviously directed toward the conflicts the Irish have endured in recent times, are in fact a message for freedom and its cost for everyone.)



The acapella piece "Catch the Wind" sounds slightly rough, at the first. However, when subsequent track "It's A Grand Day" starts you realize that "Catch the Wind" was meant as a group of Lads singing in a pub the night before, then rough is perfect.



After a few times through listen closely for outstanding musical talent thoughout, but especially for the contribution of the bodhran.



M. Barker - Cincinnati, OH"

On the Glorious Celtic Fringe....

In Memory of W. G. Simms | Palmetto Piedmont, USA | 09/24/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Roger Drawdy and his bandmates deliver another winner here. Combine the astute musical framework provided by the classically-trained violinist Kathy Woods with the songwriting and musicianship of Drawdy [who penned all the excellent lyrics on this album] and you have the modern reincarnation of the best of the Celtic musical tradition of the Emerald Isle.



And did I mention that Drawdy is a true Irish patriot? If that matters to you, some of the stuff in here will make your hair stand on end. The Firestarters are every bit as good in concert as on this album; catch 'em live if at all possible. Stand today!"

A Prayer to the Moon

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 08/31/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Open Seas, Empty Skies" is my first disc by this Celtic band. Drawdy keeps up the pace with a pulsing beat and Kathy Woods' mandolin showering us with energy. The title track has a distinctive melody with Drawdy's strong voice as the song seems to reach back into the timeless past to the thoughts of a sailor, "I say a prayer to Mother Mary, I say a prayer to the gods of wood & stone, I say a prayer to the stars above me, I say a prayer to the moon." "Tatters" traces political fortunes of the Irish, "They say there's a famine while they export our food; We've raised up in arms and gone out against them so many times that we're beaten and sore and everyday more boats to America leave with our families from Ireland's green shores." "I'll Run to Her" burns with romantic energy, celebrating the soothing nature of love, "When I'm lost, she sets me right; Her voice is heard within the sound of everything; She draws me to the light." "Fine Line" is one of my favorite tracks, perhaps more simple and direct, "I carried my burdens on my back until I thought the world would crack." "The Sherkin Island Ferry/Fastnet" slows the pace and the specifics in the lyrics give the song great reality, "My da, he said that England was no place for a Cork boy; You're guilty though you've never once been tried." The set concludes with "A Grand Day" with Kathy Woods' fiddle dazzling the simple melody. This is a disc of Celtic music with great energy, sterling musicianship and great charm. Enjoy!"