Search - Sinead O'Connor :: Sean-Nos Nua

Esoteric. not for the faint (and pop) of heart

cenon obispo palomares | quezon city, philippines | 12/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"one of the millions of things i love about sinead o'connor is her uncanny ability to surprise me (and everyone else, i suppose). just when you thought you've nailed her down and defined her, or she's run out of tricks to pull, she comes out with even more surprises. and these surprises never fail to, well, surprise and delight.for my birthday, i asked my sister to buy me sean-nos nua in japan (i wanted to have the release with bonus tracks). it was about double the price. but it was okay because after i heard the 2 bonus tracks (spanish lady & marble halls), i thought that they were well worth the extra money.i think i better veer away from talking about each track in detail. rather, i would talk about how wonderful the album is, as a whole.in this album, i noticed that even after more than a decade, sinead hasn't lost her passionate, fiery, and mournful voice. although, there are lots of times that she seems to be just whispering and singing a lullaby to a sleeping baby, you could almost always hear that hint of contained anger (not hatred)--like an beautiful (in a morbid way) scar borne of a terrible wound. and somehow these whispers crush your heart. it's like you just want her scream her lungs out. yes, sometimes, she screams and make you feel "normal" again. but sometimes, she doesn't.i must admit that the first time i listened to the album, i got a little distracted. well, when sinead sings a song, you tend to forget everything else--who wrote the song, where it came from, etc--she just transport you to a completely different reality where even "drifting leaves" seem significant and filled with passion. so, i forgot that the songs in sean-nos nua are actually traditional celtic songs. and i got a little distracted when the songs just end "abruptly". i had to remind myself that these are traditional songs. and as such, they are very simple in measure and melody. the lines and the tunes are mostly repetitive. mostly, they lack the codas, refrains, or even chorus to give you that roller-coaster ride while listening to them, or even prepare you for the end. they just tell stories that are important and characteristic of a certain group of people, no matter how trivial or naive these stories may seem to be.we know very well that sinead's voice has got to be the most haunting singing voice ever. now imagine that voice singing (or, weeping, or, lamenting... whichever word you want to use) very very old songs that are just as ghostly. and what do you get? a wonderful album that creeps under your skin, posseses your soul, breaks your heart, wets your eyes, and makes you think how lucky you are to have come across this album which never happened before, and will never happen again.yes, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. but it's esoteric. it's not for the faint of heart."

Absolutely Stunning

cenon obispo palomares | 10/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sinead O'Connor's latest music offering is nothing short of remarkable! I loved this CD! From the first to the last song, Sean-Nos Nua sets out to prove how versatile and beautiful her voice truly is.

The song "Peggy Gordon" is so strikingly beautiful in its simplicity. On the catchy tune, "Her Mantle So Green," I feel as though I'm rollicking over green hills in the countryside. "Lord Franklin" is a rich and haunting song with a melody that lingers long after the song is over. "Oro Se Do Bheatha Bhaile" stirs the soul, grabs your attention and doesn't let go. This is my favorite tune on the CD. "Paddy's Lament" runs the gamut with emotion. From mournful whispering to soaring vocals, Sinead pours all of her heart and soul into this song.The "Lord Baker" duet with Christy Moore is quite a treat. Their voices compliment one another and blend very well. For me, this song was story-telling at its best. "I'll Tell Me Ma" is a frisky, toe-tapping song that makes you want to get up out of your chair. My fervent hope is that this won't be Sinead's last musical detour from the rock/pop genre."