[.ca] Bushes & Briars

From Amazon.com:
For her foray into traditional music, American-based Irish singer Susan McKeown hasn't chosen the safe path. By including instruments like tabla, French horn, and clarinet--none of which are associated with Celtic music--she's stretching the boundaries of the genre. But the fascinating, often daring arrangements serve merely to frame her voice, which is often shown starkly, even unaccompanied. With guests like Morocco's Hassan Hakmoun, former Planxty man Andy Irvine, and Solas's Seamus Egan, she has a first-class crew behind her, but she, and her haunting voice, remain the real stars of the show, offering a radiant path to the heart of the songs here. Her selection of material (both in English and Gaelic) veers far from the tried and true, but even on a song like "Bonny Boy," she marks it with her own identity. Bushes and Briars is a complete triumph, establishing McKeown as one of the top contemporary Celtic singers. --Chris Nickson

truly one of the finest folk/Celtic records avaliable today:
This record is breathtaking; Susan's unique ear for arrangement brings to life the traditional songs, forming them into stunning echoes of today's sound united ultimately to the centuries-old ideals that created them. It is complete. When listening you are both transported forward and backward in time by her effortless alto.

hearing is believing:
After buying "Lowlands" I went online and looked up Susan's other albums, then bought B & B. The combination of her voice and the melodies just knock me out. Although I am less enamoured of her earlier work, I recommend these two and look forward to another in the future. Fortunately you can use your own ears and if thirty seconds per works for you, go for it.

Traditional Irish songs from a great voice:
The second CD from which Susan McKeown took material from for her 24 January concert at San Juan College, which I attended, is Bushes & Briars, which consists mainly of traditional Celtic music. Again, McKeown's instrumentation doesn't consist merely of the usual flutes, fiddle, bodhran, and Uileann pipes, but also guitar, tablas, a French horn, and a clarinet. And her folky sound again recalls Natalie Merchant, but there are shades of acts such as Clannad or Maire Brennan. The title track not only refers to the ones the protagonist goes through to enjoy hearing the birds sing but the bushes and briars that exist in the heart and between the gender roles: "But if I should go unto my love/my love he may say nay/if i show to him my boldness/he'll ne'er love me again." McKeown began her set by singing the a capella "Bonny Boy" that truly demonstrated her vocal power. Then, before launching into the mid-paced "In London So Fair," she explained the maritime transvestism that went on, of women wishing a better life and seeking a life of adventure by disguising themselves as men. Well, one woman does such a thing to be with her man in this story song, even sharing the same cabin with her man until one day, he says "You're like a lover of mine... I left on the shore long ago." She then reveals herself, they get married, and they spend the rest of their lives travelling over the sea. Those were the only two songs from this album she sang live, the rest of which is stunning. "H-O Abha-inn" is a lullaby, complete with Uileann pipes and bodhran that has a mid-paced rocking melody. The harmonic drone of the tambura and a tabla permeate in "The Mountain Streams Where The Moorcocks Crow" of a roving man who meets a charming woman. She refuses his offer of courtship, but he promises that maybe they'll meet again some other time and things will be different. The quiet and softly melodic "Banks Of Claudy" sounds just like something out of a fable, of a man (sung in the first person) who meets a woman looking for her lover Johnny, whom he knows as undependable and tells her his ship was wrecked on Spain. The woman still vows to hunt for him no matter what. But what a punchline! One of the standout cuts. Another quiet guitar number "Craigie Hill" tells of the American emigration the Irish underwent after losing their land. The title place is what the immigrant is saying farewell to. McKeown discovered "A Mhaire Bhruinneall" from a Clannad recording. Sung in Celtic, the repeated refrain highlights unrequited love: "You killed me forever/you weakened me entirely/and all alive to me/you broke my heart." This upbeat drum and guitar number is quite a contrast to the haunting "Donal Og." One will get a bit of Irish history in the acoustic guitar ballad "After Aughrim", where Irish Catholics were crushed at Aughrim in 1691 by a host of Protestant forces including their own people. The survivors fled to France, still a Catholic country under Louis XIV. The final verse has the exiles someday wishing to stage another comeback against the Protestants. As I learned in her concert, McKeown keeps searching for traditional Irish songs as a part of her heritage, and given this collection, she's done herself proud.

Beautiful and haunting traditional singing:
Susan McKeown is one of those recommended to Enya's fans and she also is compared to Loreena McKinnett, but don't be mislead by the comparisons. She is unique in her interpretation of traditional celtic melodies. The instrumental backing certainly isn't your traditional celtic sound, including guitar, tuba, tabla, french horn along with the more to be expected fiddle, whistles, and pipes. The important thing is that it works. The unusual instrumental blend highlights her haunting voice. The songs themselves are wistful, longing, but not tragic...ballads of love and loyalty. Listen especially to the title song "Bushes & Briars", "In London So Fair", "Bonny Boy", "Banks of Claudy", and "After Augrim", but if you enjoy traditional celtic, you will enjoy each and every one. This receives my highest recommendation.

A wonderful discovery:
I'm not shopping for an Audi, but the music behind their "Father & Daughter" commercial caught my ear. I thought it was Maura O'Connell, maybe, but I found out (via e-mail) that the music was from 'Bushes & Briars,' and promptly bought the CD. I listened to it for the first time last night. It was nice to hear the entire length of "H-O Abha-Inn" (Little One) instead of just the snippet from the commercial. I really enjoyed the updated arrangements of traditional songs, especially "Mountain Streams Where the Moorcocks Crow". If you're a fan -- as I am -- of Loreena McKennitt, you'll love this CD.

• Bushes & Briars
• In London So Fair
• Seoladh Na Ngamhna (Driving the Calves)
• H-O Abha-Inn (Little One)
• Bonny Boy
• Mountain Streams Where the Moorcocks Crow
• Banks of Claudy
• Craigie Hill
• Mháire Bhruinneall
• Dñnal Óg
• After Aughrim