Customer Reviews

Distant Future

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Cherish The Ladies franchise continues to expand, as vocalist Heidi Talbot joins bandmates Joannie Madden and Liz Carroll and in recording as fine and soulful a solo album as you're ever likely to hear. Talbot mixes traditional songs with newer contemporary material which gives her work a sort of June Tabor-ish flavor. Most of the new songs were written by the album's producer, John Doyle, who also provides nimble, supportive guitar work. Talbot has a really lovely voice, with a bright, clear quality similar to Brit-Celt divas Bill Jones, Niamh Parsons and Kate Rusby, and even coasts into some contemplative, confessional material that may bring Norah Jones or Beth Orton to mind. This album is ideal for anyone looking for warm, well-crafted Celtic music that is richly based in the style's roots, yet embraces modern singer-songwriter folk without mucking things up. Nice album -- highly recommended.

I listen to music of all kinds and love a variety of male and female vocals, and I love Heidi Talbot the best. I cannot take her CD out of my player, it's probably gone full circle a hundred times, and I hear more and better nuances with each playing, and I can't wait to hear it again. She has a great soul and heart, and with all that signing ability it sure works for me. I wish I could give her ten stars!

Distant Future is the second album from Kildare singer Heidi Talbot (of Cherish The Ladies), now residing in the US. It's a very intimate affair, produced by Irish guitarist John Doyle (of Solas), with a homogenous blend of original compositions by Doyle, Talbot, Boo Hewerdine and percussionist Shane O'Sullivan that all sit nicely with traditional ballads. There are in fact only three traditional numbers - a melancholy Jealousy, a remarkably introspective High Germany and a jaunty MacCrimmon's Lament.

Heidi's tender voice is tastefully accompanied by, among others, Doyle on guitars, John Williams (Solas) on accordion, Rayna Gellert (Freight Hoppers) and Dana Lynn on fiddles, and Dirk Powell (Balfa Toujours) on bass. The result is a compellingly beautiful album with a gentle lilt that successfully merges Irish and American cultures and joins a new stream of contemporary folk albums from young singers like Cara Dillon who put a whole new bent on the genre. A nicely crafted production, subtle yet glowing all the way.

I picked up this album because it was on sale, and the blurb on the back sounded interesting. Heidi is a Celtic-folk singer similar to Kate Rusby. Her voice is sugary sweet and her melodies float along like a summer breaze. This is Sunday morning coffee music. A nice outing for a promising, young siren.

After seeing Heidi Talbot with Cherish the Ladies last May at the University of Virginia, I was hoping to hear more... her renditions of "The Broome of the Cowdenknowes" and Stephen Foster's "Hard Times Come Again No More" were flawless, and kept the audience absolutely enthralled. Her voice is a very light, somewhat haunting soprano, lingering closely to the melody without much ornamentation or vibrato, distinctive in Celtic music and refreshing in melisma-saturated popular music.

As for "Distant Future"...

I think much of this album's sound can be attributed to John Doyle's flawless accompaniment and production. It is less "Celtic" than a Cherish the Ladies outing would be, reflecting Doyle's own explorations of American folk on his outstanding album "Evening Comes Early" (Shanachie 2001). Still, Doyle and Talbot are highly effective in recovering the connections between Celtic music and Appalachian folk, creating a pristine, straight-forward music with a delivery closer to popular American "acoustic rock" (comparisons to Sarah McLachlan and even Norah Jones aren't far off). It's an extremely laid-back album, and John Doyle's perfect, spacious rhythms can make a slower song with strong beats on 2 + 4 ("Jealousy") feel like a dirge--this is exactly the kind of album that lots of Amazon.com reviewers call "perfect when drinking coffee on Sunday morning!". Cute, yuppy comments aside, this is a solid effort from Heidi Talbot and John Doyle, a cut above most of the Celtic or American folk music coming out now, but we've probably yet to hear Heidi Talbot's definitive voice and musical impact come through on a record. With albums like "Distant Future", the wait shouldn't be unpleasant at all.

I have had the honor of watching Heidi perform in person with Cherish the Ladies. She has one of the most beautiful voices in the world. I highly recommend her cd.

When someone's voice is as pure as Heidi Talbot's, you don't really want instruments to overwhelm the music. Trust me the musicians behind this album have done a really great job. Blending all the traditional celtic instruments into great modern folk recipes. Notable musician like ex solas guitarist John Doyle gives the backbone of Heidi's music.

Songs I recommend listening on this album:
In Silence I Go
Geography
High Germany
Said To Me Sweetly

Make sure check out her second album too. That's another quality album with similar musical approach. OMG Heidi sings so well. Everything is in perfect tune. I'm so happy now I'm crying :P

Great music!

As the reviewer of Dec. 20 ("Boring Music") "coincidentally" has the same name as Cherish the Ladies' band leader, I'm assuming the review is a joke. I saw Cherish the Ladies a few nights ago, and Heidi Talbot has a wonderful stage presence and a great sense of rhythm. She has an amazing voice and uses it with great skill. This is awesome Irish music.

Heidi Talbot has a lot of growing up to do. I recently saw her perform with Cherish the Ladies and she has NO stage presence. She startes at the ground while her bandmates perform and she looks so bored that she drains and depletes your energy down to nothing. After seeing her and then listening to her CD, I fell asleep due to boredul. Please save your money and buy a different singers album.