Customer Reviews

Lowlands

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I first heard the voice of Susan Mckeown on Public Radio's Prairie Home Companion. When her Irish accented voice, boomed from my car's radio, it immediately grabbed my attention.It was at that point, I was determined to find and buy her music. My first choice was the CD, Lowlands, and what a great choice it was.This is simply a wondeful Irish folk album,that features Susan McKeown's strong beautiful voice along with a vast array of musical instruments from around the world. I have no ideal of the backround of the songs, but they give one the feeling of being transported back into old Ireland's mystical past.There are songs about romantic lovers,long voyages and distant countries.My favorite song of the CD is titled,"The Hare's Lament", which tells the story of the hunt from the rabbit's perspective.Truely,a moving song. I know that most performers hate being compared to other performers, but I just can't help myself.If you a fan who likes popular Celtic singer, Loreena McKennitt, then you will love Susan McKeown.I find that both have a very similar singing style, with a use of unusual instruments from around the world, to tell tales of ancient lands and love.This is really a wonderful CD which I heartily recommend!

Dublin born Susan McKeown now calls New York home; wherever she lives, she has one of the most compelling voices in acoustic music. This is an album of traditional music; yet with unique arrangements and that incredible voice, Susan forges a sound that is all her own. "Lowlands of Holland" is one of the sweetest performances of the year.

If you've yet to hear Susan McKeown sing, you don't know what you're missing out on. Likely one of the most stunningly original and artistic Celtic singers in recent history, Ms. McKeown's sixth album, Lowlands, has fast become one of my favorites. Powerful, ethereal and yet earthy and raw, her voice is the signature element of this CD; with the remarkable range of accompanying artists building the landscape that houses it.

Lowlands is a collection of mostly traditional Celtic songs, performed with a markedly non-traditional flair. Bodhrans, banjos, the kora and the bouzouki . . . the instrument selection is varied and fascinating. Susan performs them all with passion and lovely evocative technique.

For a bouncy, light selection in Gaelic "An Nighean Dubh" is an excellent opening track, with Susan's voice dancing through the song effortlessly, buoyed up by a mix of instruments that embellish and provide tempo, but never overtake her voice as the star attraction. "The Snows They Melt the Soonest" is a sweet track with sparse accompaniment--soft guitar and violin-- to accompany this bittersweet love song. "Bonny Greenwoodside" is a traditional Scottish murder ballad, performed with simple chant and percussion style. Stripped to the bones it is starkly effective and powerfully haunting. The only non-traditional number on here is perhaps my favorite of them all. "Dark Horse of Ireland" written by Liam Weldon. This dark commentary on the bitterness and pain of war and rebellion is a perfect match for McKeown's voice. This selection, devoid of all instrumentals and with only the sound of wind at the introduction, impresses on the listener McKeown's vocal power.

I could probably go on at length about each and every number on this CD, but I will leave that to the listener to discover. If your looking for comfortable background music, this is probably not your best choice--McKeown's style is meant to pull the listener in and inspire emotion. This is the kind of CD to savor when you have time to relax and listen, I tend to use it in between writing as inspiration. While not for everyone, Susan McKeown was an unexpected delight to this listener, and I look forward to discovering more of her work.

Happy Listening! ^_^ Shanshad

I first heard Susan McKeown at a free performance in the WTC plaza this summer. She is amazing to hear live - her strong voice carried far in thr plaza and I had to buy her music. I bought Lowlands, because it featured the songs she had sung that night and wasn't dissapointed. IT's a great CD. The Hare's Lament is wondeful, and I love The Snows They Melt the Soonest. You won't be dissapointed in Lowlands - my only regret is tha I didn't buy more of her music!

"Lowlands" is a perfect name for this album, which showcases the lush, low, sultry voice of Susan McKeown. She sings a collection of eleven Irish and Scottish ballads accompanied by a world-spanning variety of instrumentalists playing everything from guitar, fiddle, whistle, pipes and bodhran to kora, kaval, finger cymbals, Chinese erhu and Indian tablas. This isn't club-style "world beat" music, however. The tempos vary, the vocals are intimate and lingering, and the world music flavors are acoustic only, blending in tastefully but rarely overshadowing the distinctly Celtic character of the songs. "Lowlands" is music to be savored, appreciated both for it's nuance and its rich and clever arrangements. My favorites are the rhythmic, mysterious "An Nighean Dubh," the bouncy "Hare's Lament," the flamenco-influenced "Sian agus Beannacht," and the Mid-East-tinged "Lord Baker." The liner notes are very informative too, not only sharing Susan's personal reminiscences about when she first heard the pieces, but also documenting their original sources in terms of oral tradition, scholarship and/or earlier recordings. Joining McKeown on this album are, among others, Johnny Cunningham on fiddle, Joanie Madden on whistles, Aidan Brennan on guitar, Mamadou Diabate on kora, Samir Chatterjee on tablas, Wang Guowei on erhu, Eamon O'Leary on banjo, and Matt Darriau on kaval, gaida and clarinets. If you like Susan McKeown's voice, check out also the recordings of singers Niamh Parsons and Mary McLaughlin.

I ordered a used copy of this through Amazon, and I just received it today. I bought it based on the reviews, something I only do once in a great while, but I was intrigued. After only one listen all the way through and return visits to two of the songs that hooked me, I can already predict that this CD will be receiving some heavy rotation on my stereo in the coming weeks. I've been kind of off Celtic music for a while (guess I've been burned out from too much of the same old, same old), but this collection of songs is different. Not since Eliza Carthy's wonderful ANGELS & CIGARETTES have I been as intrigued by a heretofore unknown singer (that is, unknown to me). This is not your routine collection of Irish ballads and jigs. Love the African kora on "Lord Baker," and the choice of Chinese erhu for the oft-covered "Lowlands Of Holland" is inspired. McKeown's voice is not the most distinctive I've ever heard, but it's easy on the ears, and her singing is expressive and soulful. LOWLANDS is good enough for me to want to hear other work by this artist.

Fine celtic folk music! Well worth buying. A must for any celtic music lover.

I first heard this cd while browsing at a large scale book-music store and what pulled me her direction was the uniqueness of her songs--there's variety: strength, sensitivity, humor, sadness and Susan's powerful voice. Later, I also bought "Bushes and Briars" which is similar and wonderful, and then "Mighty Rain" which is just vocal and stand up bass and not for everybody. Her earlier albums are less refined and whatever it is she's doing now works for me perfectly.