After the Morning

Cara Dillon | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 31, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Compass Records
• ASIN: B000H9I0YM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,446 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Folk Roots Magazine (UK)

Cara Dillon, is without exaggeration, amongst the very finest to be heard today..."

Product Description

Championed by Geoff Travis (who discovered The Smiths and manages Pulp and Beth Orton), Cara Dillon has one of the most beautiful voices to emerge from the Celtic scene in recent years. Her latest effort, After The Morning (her first release in the US) establishes her uncanny ability to wed traditional influences to contemporary folk sounds and themes. The album was produced by Sam Lakeman (both were former members of the group The Equation) and features an appearance from Paul Brady on the duet The Streets of Derry. After The Morning’s first single, Never In A Million Years, garnered heavy airplay from BBC2 in the UK, was the single of the week on BBC Radio Ulster and earned Cara a spot at this year’s Cambridge Folk Festival. Dillon is no stranger to success. In 2002 she was nominated for four and walked away with two BBC Awards: Best Traditional Track (for Black is the Colour) & the Horizon (Best Newcomer) Award. In 2004 she was honored with the Irish Meteor Award for Best Female Singer and the Irish Tattler Woman of the Year Music Award. It comes as no surprise that Q Magazine would assert that "...Dillon's vocals, expressive beyond her years, are right on the money."

Born in 1975 and raised in Dungiven, Co. Derry, Cara comes from a family steeped in traditional Irish music. At 14 years old she won the acclaimed All Ireland Traditional Singing Trophy and from there went on to earn her reputation as an outstanding vocalist with the young Irish band, Oige. In 1995 Cara replaced singer Kate Rusby in the new folk super-group, The Equation. It was as a member of The Equation that Cara’s musical partnership with Equation co-founder Sam Lakeman began, and since the mid-90s when the two left the band that partnership has developed at a rapid pace. Unusually sophisticated and yet completely unpretentious, their music reveals refreshing imagination and considerable flair and it belies the fact that they are both in their early 30s. While Cara Dillon is still relatively unknown on this side of the pond, After The Morning is sure to make her a favorite of North American folk music fans.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I was expecting, June 9, 2006

By 

Fractured Fantasy (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: After the Morning (Audio CD)

Cara Dillon has been one of the artists I regularly listen to with great joy. Her voice and interpretation of the folk genre are phenomenal. Play either of her two previous albums and you'll be amazed. I've had many friends listen to Cara Dillon and become instant fans. Sadly, this album is not quite up to the standard I've come to expect from this artist.

In this album Cara Dillon begins to experiment and blend different musical styles. Rock/pop and bluegrass influences are certainly clear. Although Ms Dillon wasn't what you'd considerer a 'hard core' folk artist, she was pretty much solidly in the folk genre. When I listen to certain tracks on this album, I feel as if they have been watered down to meet public expectations, rather than a unique blend of styles. In some cases the final product just ended up sounding awkward or strange. Usually I like music that defies classification but this album seemed to be the perfect example of the pitfalls awaiting artists when they venture forth out of their niches.

Despite the problems I see in this album, there are tracks that get the balance right. It is very clear that Cara Dillon is in an experimental phase, or has taken some bad advice on how to widen her audience. Her strength is certainly with her folk roots and I hope that she'll remain true to them. If you are a fan, you might want to buy this album out of curiosity but don't buy it expecting to hear folk music.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful 3rd Album!, July 12, 2007

By 

RC Metcalf (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: After the Morning (Audio CD)

I am really enjoying this album... The first song does veer towards pop rather than traditional, but it is an excellent song! There are also several awesome songs that tend more toward the traditional... like The Snows They Come The Soonest and Bold Jamie. Then there's Garden Valley, written by Scotland's modern poet laureate, Dougie MacLean, that Cara does a magnificant job with. Granted, there are a few songs that don't highlight Cara's ability as well as they could, but her beautiful voice can compensate for a lack in any song.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cara's best yet, June 21, 2006

By 

K. Lloyd "ken's wife jan" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: After the Morning (Audio CD)

This is definitely Cara's strongest and best album to date. After the Morning has Cara successfully combining folk with a little bluegrass to produce a beautifully melodic album with every track a winner and one that should appeal to a wider listening audience. Standouts for me were Brockagh Braes and Garden Valley but I haven't skipped a track when playing the album since I first heard it a few months ago. Her angelic voice and Sam Lakeman's arrangements are more confident on this album than the previous two albums - this is one I definitely recommend.