Never has an American-born fan of Irish music, (who's never vacationed in the Emerald Isle before) felt like he's "right there" in the pubs of Dublin or Galway. Songs like "An Gorta Mor", "Suil a Run", and Caroline and Her Sailor Bold" have an amazingly-haunting quality, and not just because they all sound haunting. All three members of O'hAnleigh (who can trace direct ancestry to counties Roscommon, Tyrone and others), seem to be singing Irish music with a purpose; an awareness to give audiences of traditions and struggles past down through the centuries. This is not just music for fun, or to make money. (Though certainly both of those are welcomed percs for modern folk groups when offered).
Let's look at the above three songs in isolation, shall we? "An Gorta Mor" is a haunting original choral peice which seeks to honor, and capture the spirit of, the Irish immigrants who fled their homeland for America during the Famine years. As each voice enters, and weaves through the peice, one can imagine ghosts of the deseased immigrants rising from their graves. "Caroline and Her Sailor Bold" is also accapella, yet it is traditional, and sung by only one voice, but like "An Gorta Mor", "Caroline..." makes you imagine that you are actually on a rocky, Irish coast in the 18th century, listening to a Maiden sing you this tale of her sea-faring love. The maiden in question is Becca Hanley, and her pure, soprano tones are quite an experience. Also highlighting Becca's vocals is the traditional song "Siul a Run", performed by the trio in a kind of Celtic/new-age/jazz/pop style, with light but superb piano work by Cindy Hill, and a pleasing low-end from Tom Hanley's bass guitar, not to mention one of Tom's jazzy-est acoustic guitar solos ever. One listen to "Suil a Run" and you might forget that the group is American-born; this is clearly OhAnleigh's most sophisticated and beautiful song to date. I would pit this rendition against any music made by Irish, Scottish, or Cape Breton-born folk musician.
Speaking of Scotland; if you thought the songs on "Farewell Roscommon" were only for a wake or going to sleep, you would be mistaken. The group's trademark penchant for fun is alive and well on this disc, and two of their "fun" songs are Scottish in origin, a tradition which the group is presently looking in to. "Barnyards O'Delgaty", and "Work O'The Weavers" are two, up-beat songs with a bit of a bluegrass feel, brightend a bit from the audible pressence of homemade percussion instruments and sound-effects the group makes in their garage. (This DJ and music reviewer can only hope that Welsh and Breton music will follow the group's new obsession with Scotland). Besides fun Scottish songs, fun Irish pub songs are, of course, present. "Ode to the Pint/Have a Drink/Jig set" is particularly noteworthy among pub songs for the appearance of a poem at the beginning, lest you think those who drink cant think.
Fun, haunting, traditional arrangements, original songs, true-to-their-heritage. These are five things I think should be present on all good Celtic and folk albums, and with "Farewell Roscommon", O'hAnleigh seems to have scored a "perfect five". If I finally do get to Ireland I may not share a pint with O'hAnliegh there, but having listened to O'hAnleigh state-side, perhaps Ireland won't seem so foreign to me.
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