For her latest project, one of Ireland's most internationally recognizable musicians decided to go back to her roots and record an album consisting largely of traditional Irish songs -- some generations old, some more recent, but all with a rich historical background. Sinead O'Connor had heard many of the songs for the first time in her childhood, from her father and in school.
On the first page of the liner notes for "Sean-Nos Nua," O'Connor writes, "I've been dying to make this record all my life, as I've always loved these songs."
These words are hardly necessary, however, as her love of the music comes through on every track of this beautifully performed album.
Many of the songs deal with the subject of lost love. The album kicks off with the hymn-like "Peggy Gordon." The song originated in America and eventually made it over to Ireland, developing into a folk tune. During the song, O'Connor's breathy but tender vocals mirror the feeling of longing expressed in the lyrics.
Even more touching than "Peggy Gordon" is the sixth track, "Molly Malone," where O'Connor is accompanied only by a string section. The song passionately recounts the tragic tale of a beautiful young fishmonger who meets a premature end due to pneumonia. Her vocal delivery is so powerful that it sounds as if she were delivering the song as a eulogy at the girl's funeral.
A number of songs tell stories about well-known figures in Ireland's rich history. Sometimes that figure is more of an everyman, as is the case in "Paddy's Lament." The lone political statement on the album, it tells the story of a man who emigrates to America seeking to escape famine, but ends up with a wooden leg from his fighting for the Irish Brigade of the Union Army in the Civil War.
Other songs are legends from folklore. One such track is "Lord Baker," a song O'Connor sings with fellow Irishwoman Christy Moore. Passed down to Moore from the late troubadour John Reilly, the epic tale spans over 11 minutes , featuring O'Connor and Moore backed by a lone synthesizer. While it may bore some, the length of the song allows it to take on a chant-like quality while simultaneously giving the singers the freedom to fully develop the tale.
The synthesizer appears on the album not only during "Lord Baker" but throughout the album. While the album is largely one of classical Irish music, it juxtaposes this quality with a sound that is anything but traditional.
Alongside the hallmarks of Celtic music such as acoustic guitars, fiddles and whistles, there are also computer-generated noises and ominous echoes present throughout the album.
This lush production is most evident on two songs sung in their original Gaelic. On both "Oro, Se Do Bheatha 'Bhaile" and "Baidin Fheilimi," O'Connor and her production team choose to use electronic drums and swirling synthesizers in addition to the more classical instruments. The clear juxtaposition of an ancient language and modern technology is a surprisingly bold move, but it works -- the expert production allows the two styles to mesh.
But more important to the album's success are O'Connor's vocal performances. It's clear that she handled each song with extreme care, as though she were a curator handling these fragile yet vibrant artifacts of Irish history.
The only problem with this metaphor is that the songs she sings are hardly collecting dust. She breathes new life into each track, finding the magic that gave the songs their longevity and expressing those qualities to their fullest extent.
Nothing on this LP was created through simple adherence to a formula. O'Connor clearly contemplated every song thoroughly. This album must have been a labor of love. She wanted to do it right, and she has now passed on these songs to yet another generation.
Celtic music purists may not like this album -- especially the 21st-century spin on these standards. But by making such bold moves, O'Connor has crafted an album that is a warm and simultaneously complex blend of the classic and the modern, proving not only her superior musical talent but also the timelessness of these songs.
