Customer Reviews

Farthest Wave

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If there is a more engrossing and beautiful album out this year, I'd be amazed. No naval-gazing song writing, no fascination with unhappiness. Cathie Ryan has an Irish/American voice to die for - perfectly suited for her own lovely compositions and for doing full justice to traditional songs from Ireland, Scotland and England. After two great records as lead singer with Cherish the Ladies, she has just come out with her fourth solo cd. THE FARTHEST WAVE is the second produced by the great John McCusker and both are beautifully buoyed by the many talents of the Rusby clan-John is the husband of the peerless Kate Rusby-and all those at the aptly named Pure Records in Yorkshire. Cathie seems unable to utter anything but the most lovely phrasing when she sings. That would be enough to please any listener. But, here she has forces aplenty assisting her. The guitar work is matchless throughout-especially John Doyle's and Kris Drever's. The multi-instrumental John McCusker brings that beautiful work he's displayed to such great effect on all of Kate Rusby's cds: fiddle, whistles, and cittern. He's also written a great jig and a smashing reel for this collection. Phil Cunningham's accordion has a personality all its own and appears throughout. Backing vocals are splendid-especially Karine Polwart's. The songs are so good that it's difficult to pick favorites-I won't try. Notable, however, is the traditional ROUGH AND ROCKY which Cathie heard originally on Emmylou Harris's great early album, BLUE KENTUCKY GIRL. If you can imagine one of the most beautiful voices in the world singing the following verse from the traditional (and by Dermot Henry), "As the Evening Declines," you may get the idea how great this work is:

You can have all your gold, the high king of all metals
With soft talk and kisses we'll never want better
And the west of a ditch is the best of all settles
Glory o, glory, glory when the evening declines
Glory o, glory, glory as the evening declines

From the extended instrumental introduction to the opening song, "What's Closest to the Heart", to the four-part harmony of the final number, "Home Sweet Home", you will be transported by the music on this CD. While each of her "solo" effort CDs continues to top my list of favorite music, this one is the cream of the crop. As always, her singing is distinctive, and expressive; a perfect fit for each song. The arrangements and instrumental work are flawless. It would be difficult to match the number of "goosebump" moments produced by this album. You may want to listen to this CD in the car on the way to or from work, but you might miss some of the beautiful, intricate instrumentation. You may be tempted to listen to it as background music, but you will miss the touching lyrics. No, the best way to listen to this music is in quiet, with someone you love, and a cup of tea or a glass of wine, and let yourselves be completely taken in by the experience.

I am new to Cathie Ryan's music, and bought this CD after hearing her perform some of it live recently. I am not new to Celtic music, however, and have a decent collection of particularly female Celtic artists (some of whom I like more than others). It is against this background of experience, and admittedly passion for the beauty of this kind of music, that I make these comments. This CD is indeed a jewel, clearly an album of striking beauty that I (uncustomarily) listen to all the way through. I would describe the overall tone as sort of elegantly beautiful, a mature and very classy work by Cathie and a group of superb professionals. Which is not to say it's stuffy or ethereal or all of one sound (some of the songs are fast and spirited, some slower). It is just extremely well-executed work consisting of very tuneful Celtic music in the folk idiom. Cathie's voice is one of sheer ability--it's just cleanly beautiful and totally competent in every musical place on this album. Luxurious. The musicianship is equally superb, very tasteful, and rich while not overdone. The overall sound and style of the songs I would describe as more contemporary than traditional, a balance that suits my taste. As mentioned above, the whole album is a pleasure to listen to, but some of the songs are of the kind that put you into that affective space of hypnotic beauty--the kind that obviously carve out their own place in the musical world, and that you hope to find on every album you buy, and sometimes do. You know where they are in your collection. I can't resist naming three of these on this CD: The title song "The Farthest Wave", "As the Evening Declines", and "Be Like the Sea". To sum up, this is a gorgeous piece of work by a truly top talent that I believe will be extraordinarily enjoyable to anyone who likes this genre of music, and very likely to many who think they don't. One seldom gets their hands on a CD of this sheer quality.

"Like the sea, the sea, wild and free
We'll swim out past the longing so deep

Down below these waves in the deepest depth
There are echoes sounding true as your breath
The still, small voice in you, the endless open blue
Be like the sea"

Lively music with the delicate nature of a field of flowers is encased in heartfelt lyrics as Irish American Cathie Ryan's voice causes your mind to drift off to places you'd rather be.

The Celtic songs remain in a soul-calming mood throughout in order to set a relaxing mood. Her songs truly speak for themselves through her thoughtful and emotive lyrics.

"What will you do, love, when I am going
With white sails flowing, the seas beyond?
What will you do, love, when waves divide us
And friends may chide us for being fond?
Though waves divide us, and friends be chiding
In faith abiding I'll still be true
And I'll pray for you on the stormy ocean
In deep devotion, that's what I'll do"

Music to play when your heart wants to be held. Cathie Ryan's voice is soothing and nurturing, leading you to a place of peace.

~The Rebecca Review

Cathie Ryan has a classic, lilting Celtic sound. The tunes are artfully arranged on the CD to make the entire event full of listening pleasure. The selections are soothing and soulful. Go ahead - buy this one!

Cathie Ryan sings with such a fresh and pure voice, it makes anything she sings a sheer joy to listen to. And her song-writing skills are at a peak here. I own all but one of her CDs and this one is the BEST of all - to date. She does a stirring cover of the classic Bluegrass song Rough and Rocky, and her cover of HOME SWEET HOME will bring a tear to your eye for certain. Her voice on these songs will stir your heart and soul. Two of the songs she wrote on this CD really stand out - The Farthest Wave and Be Like the Sea. They are so emotionally intense in their lyrics, and Cathie belts them out with such energy and passion. My personal favorite is another cover - Follow the Heron - a song full of joy and delight! This song will bring a smile to your face and make you yearn again for your younger days of play and fun!!!

Cathie Ryan is quietly but steadily building her accomplishments in Irish Music, with her traditional, contemporary, and original songs. She has a drop-dead gorgeous voice, full of sincerity and feeling. One of her virtues is the obvious respect for her material and her choice of songs with great lyrical quality. This album steadily builds on her previous albums, all excellent. She has the finest musicians behind her, notabaly John Doyle, Phil Cunningham, and John McCusker. Doyle has to be one of the very best Celtic guitarists around, standing out in SOLAS, Green Fields of America, while accompanying both Cathie Ryan and Liz Carroll, as well as in solo appearances. Anyone who enjoys beautiful music and lyrics, telling stories illustrated by driving guitars, haunting low whistles, accordian, fiddle, and flute, will love this album. I would have to list "The Farthest Wave," "Be Like the The Sea," and "Follow the Heron" as among my all-time favorite tunes. And you have never heard the old song, "Home Sweet Home" until you hear it revealed here as a totally reborn classic. Cathie Ryan is no longer just the former lead singer with Cherish the Ladies, she is a world class performer herself! As the song says:
"Long may you sing of the salmon,
And the snow-scented sounds of your home,
While the north wind delivers its sermon,
Of ice and salt water and stone.
By night and day we'll sport and we'll play,
And delight as the dawn dances over the bay,
Sleep blows the breath of the morning away,
And we follow the heron home."

My introduction to Cathie Ryan was when the Rochester Philarmonic invited her to perform with them in Spring '06. I have not stopped playing this CD since then. Of the numerous "Celtic Women," Cathie's voice has a depth and clarity that resonates so distinctly. The poetry to her music can be very spiritually inspiring and hopeful. "The Sea" is especially my favorite. The musical arrangement and lyrics are simple, joyful, hopeful, and it beautifully imparts an infinite wisdom we all need to be reminded about time to time. When listening to "Home Sweet Home"..........I'm there. In the world of Celtic music, Cathie Ryan demonstrates that "simpler is better."