6/2/10


NUALA KENNEDY
Tune In
Compass 7-4534-2
* * *

The latest recording from Irish-born, Edinburgh-based Nuala Kennedy is, depending on your point of view, either eclectic or inconsistent. In a remarkably short period of time Kennedy has established herself in the top tier of Celtic flute and whistle players; sets such as “Footsteps,” “Thíos Cois Na Trá,” and “The Blooming Bright Star of Belle Isle” offer plenty of evidence that her reputation is well-earned. Kennedy’s breath control and fingering are glorious, as is her timing with accomplished players such as hurdy gurdy artist Nicolas Boulerice and guitarist Phillipe Guidat. Like many younger players Kennedy mixes musical styles freely. Purists are likely to adore the aforementioned tunes and be distressed by Kennedy’s other choices, especially her pick of songs. Kennedy certainly has a fine voice, as she demonstrates on an intriguing rendition of “My True Love,” an arrangement textured by Lea Kirstein on cello, Brian Kellock on piano, and the late Oliver Schroer on fiddle. Individual taste, however, will dictate how listeners respond when Kennedy veers to the pop end of the musical spectrum. I enjoyed her composition “The Books in My Library,” a song that parallels a book shelf to paths taken (or not). It reminded me a lot of something Sally Rogers might have in her repertoire. I’m less enamored of her take on “The Waves of the Silvery Tide,” a duet with the warble-voiced Bonnie Prince Billy. (To put a point on it, I can't stand his operatic voice and wonder why weirdness so often gets more attention that singers with much better voices.) The album’s concept is to “tune in’ to various voices and influences. That’s admirable, but it also means that it sometimes lacks a foundational identity.

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