Old Style, New Way (Sean Nos Nua - Sinead O'Connor)

Member Name: Kjartan

Product:	Sean Nos Nua - Sinead O'Connor
Date:	03/01/03 (827 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Spiritual, sensual songs, Sublime vocals

Disadvantages: None

It's been two long years since Sinéad's last release (Faith and Courage, 2000) and finally in October 2002 we got Sean-Nós Nua. Whilst Sinéad's relationship with her native country, culture and religion has never been straightforward or uncontroversial, Sean-Nós Nua sees her returning to mine the deep seam of Irish culture and musical traditions. She does not plunder however, her approach is honest, gentle and respectful but never reverential. She breathes new life, meaning and emotion into the 13 traditional Irish songs that make up Sean-Nós Nua (meaning 'old style, new way').

She has taken songs such as 'Peggy Gordon' and 'My Lagan Love' and made them new again and with her intelligence and spirituality has wrestled them away from the likes of Daniel Donnell and the cheap commercial sentimentality that mars the modern renderings of traditional Irish ballads. With her voice and her understanding of the songs, she makes you hear the lyrics afresh, and makes you realise that these traditional songs do contain history and emotion not the crass representation of the Eurovision commercialists who want to create jolly Irish bars. She has given them back their integrity.

The rearrangements on Sean-Nós Nua are a collaboration with a range of musicians and artists including Donal Lunny, Professor Stretch, Steve Wickham and Christy Moore. Whilst all the songs feature traditional instruments such as the fiddle, mandolin, accordion, whistle and banjo, many of the songs are arranged and produced by dub maestro Adrian Sherwood. The rearrangements and the underlaying of dub do not distort the songs or modernise them beyond recognition, the songs remain traditional and powerful. 2 songs are sung in Gaelic (for an English translation of the lyrics see www.sineadoconnor.com). Above all the production allows Sinéad's vocals to soar covering a range of emotions from the ferocity of 'Paddy's Lament', the y
earning of 'Peggy Gordon', to the still, quiet spirituality of 'The Parting Glass'.

'Peggy Gordon': Sinéad's vocals here are so soft and gentle and full of female sensuality. The critics have taken this song as 'evidence' of Sinéad's bisexuality, but why be so crass with labels and boxes, so what if she's a double divorcee who's just (according to the media) come out as bisexual, the song stands for itself, she likes women spiritually and possibly maybe sexually, but she sings with such a mixture of melancholy laced with remembrance of good times that it's impossible not to feel the love that the singer feels for Peggy.

'Her Mantle So Green': the power of Sean-Nós Nua lies in bringing back to life the stories in the songs. In this, Sinéad takes the role of a young soldier testing his lover back home and she can sing a story.

'Lord Franklin': a wife hopes for and grieves for her Artic explorer husband and the last line “and where is he?“ must be testament to Sinéad's enduring heterosexuality or maybe not (if we can get beyond being completely literal).

'The Singing Bird': the singer's love is compared but none is so good, with strings and whistle underneath Sinéad's vocals are beautiful and full of compassion and care.

'Óró Sé Do Bheatha 'Bhaile': one of the best songs in the selection with a heavy reggae beat and strong fighting vocals, this rearrangement is fantastic, you cannot help but be roused by it.

'Molly Malone': Sinéad's vocals soar and ebb like a ghost through the streets broad and narrow, she sings this song like it's the first time it's ever been sung – she makes you hear the lyrics for the very first time.

'Paddy's Lament': my favourite song, telling the tale of Ireland and America and the fighting - “I wish I was at home in dear old D
ublin“ – and for once none of this Irish American crap but the truth – they made us fight - “they put guns in our hands“ – the truth as everyone knows it about America.

'The Moorlough Shore': She is waiting on the banks of the lake for you, her voice is guiding you there but she's not a siren, she tells it like it is.

'The Parting Glass': and for once shall 'joy be to you all' – a beautiful, sensual song where the singer is happy and we will remember the good people and good things.

'Báidín Fheilimí': love and spirituality, with dub underneath, she is full of love.

'My Lagan Love': this was already an amazing song, but made perfect, her vocals take you, hold you and carry you on her journey – the bass comes up and meets Sinéad's vocals and she carries it like it was so light.

'Lord Baker' (with Christy Moore): an epic story and an epic rendering of it with Christy Moore's voice and timing: it's so beautiful and spiritual – just listening to it makes you feel something.

'I'll Tell Me Ma': Sinéad's light end and more traditional than all the previous songs, but sung so vigorously and earnestly, and “please, won't you tell me who is she?“

Like Bjork with 'Homogenic' and 'Vespertine', Sean-Nós Nua sees Sinéad going back to her past and emerging from it spiritually stronger. Both are like forces of nature, the depth of their understanding, spirituality, creativity and intelligence infuses their music and vocals. Whether she was ordained as a priest or an archdeacon, Sinéad's spirituality and sensuality runs deep in Sean-Nós Nua. It's a recommendable musical position to be in, sandwiched in the middle of Irish and Icelandic goddesses.

To listen to some of the tracks go to www.sineadoconnor.com/static.php?id=discography.
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