This review is written by Kevin McCarthy, 3/04
"Kevin and Maxine’s Celtic & Folk Music CD Reviews"
http://www.icogitate.com/~celticfolkmusic/index.html
mailto:celticfolkmusic@icogitate.com
Where have you been all my life Eddi Reader? Well, maybe the better
question is where have I been? At first exposure to Glasgow native Reader, this
reviewer is packing for Scotland, lured by a marvelously expressive
voice that dances about between tender, provocative, vulnerable and
joyous.
Selecting, except for one cut, from the bountiful song collection of Robert Burns, Reader celebrates this Scottish treasure
whose body of work remains one that artists return to time and time
again.
The highpoints:
"Jamie Come Try Me" has Reader signing in with a jazzy, improvisational interpreation, backed by velvety orchestral strings.
"Willie Stewart" is a bouncy salute to Burns' friend of the same
name that transitions to a John Rankin tune that carries on the momentum.
"Ae Fond Kiss'" lowers the temperature with the evocation of sadness
resulting from a failed relationship. But fear not for Burns displays his lascivious wit with "Brose and Butter."
"Ye Jacobites," a lament for the frontline grunts who fight and
fall, and an indictment of those who, from a safe space, issue the
orders, has an unfortunate pertinence to this day.
Reader and Company make "Charlie Is My Darling," a most infectious cut that seems like something out of the 1930s.
Burns' turn at saluting the treasures of long-lasting fidelity comprises "John Anderson My Jo."
Appropriately, the release closes with a luminous version of "Auld
Lang Syne," performed a cappella early on and then with lush strings
backing. This one will define wistfulness in any future dictionary.
Reader can evoke vivid emotions with her eloquent singing and the
pairing of her vocals with the writing of Robert Burns is synergy at
its best.
Copyright © 1998-2008 Kevin & Maxine’s Celtic & Folk Music CD Reviews. All rights reserved.
Ownership, copyright and title of this folk music CD review belongs to me, Kevin McCarthy. Ownership, copyright and title are not transferable or assignable to you or other parties regardless of how or if you or other parties use, copy, save, backup, store, retrieve, transmit, display, publish, modify or share the CD review in whole or in part. Please read the "Terms, Conditions and Disclaimer" section on my web site for additional information about using, quoting, or reprinting this CD review.
Send inquiries to: celticfolkmusic@icogitate.com.
Return to Kevin and Maxine’s Celtic & Folk Music CD Reviews home page.
To return to the last web page you visited, click the "Back" button that appears immediately below: