Customer Reviews

Signature

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had shivers down my spine right from the first song on this CD. After the dreamy new age voyage of "Two Horizons," "Signature" takes us back to Moya's Irish roots. The songs are dreamy and ethereal, heavily featuring traditional Irish instruments (including Moya's own harp playing). All of the songs are a bit haunting and utterly beautiful. Moya's voice is better than ever, and the lyrics are thoughtful, enchanting, and inspirational. At times, her voice is the softest feather- and then at other times, it hits home like an arrow hitting a bullseye. There is still quite a bit of Christian influence; yet the Christian songs are universal in their message and will not leave idividuals of other denominations feeling alienated. All in all, I would say that this is one of Moya's best albums to date- it combines the best Irish influences from her Clannad albums, mixes in some of the best from her more Christian albums ("Whisper to the Wild Water" and "Perfect Time"), and keeps you floating in the dream world that Moya has created on every album she has ever done. Moya has a truly unique way of lifting you up when you are sad, and lifting you higher when you are happy. If you love this album, do your family and friends a favor and intruduce them to it as well. I have played "Signature" for people who have very diverse musical tastes- and everyone so far has been captivated by it!

"Harry's Game" was my first exposure to Clannad, but not my last. I've followed Moya Brennan's career from Clannad to her first solo CDs under the name Maire and now Moya, which is a more phonetic spelling of her Irish name.

"Signature" is a slightly different sound for Moya. It's less layered atmospheric with a stronger pop rhythm than her earlier slower folk music works. Vocals are still the signature chantlike beauty with an accompanying underpinning of Irish harp, bodhran, flutes, and uillean pipes. What I like better is the sound is engineered so the vocals are clearer and up-front of the orchestration.

If you're expecting Jimi Hendrix' rock standard from the opening title, "Purple Haze," you'll be disappointed. Moya's "Purple Haze" is a strong opener that will conjure up images of the Irish landscape.

"Hear my Prayer" is a reflection of Moya's faith and a rededication:

Angels walk with me
Guard me to the waters edge
Wash away my doubts, my fear
Lord, strengthen me and bring me back to you

Fans of her Gaelic singing will be disappointed there's only one non-English song, "Pill a Run O". But do no not despair, this one very spare song with just Moya, light strings, and the Irish harp is possibly one of the most beautiful I've ever heard her sing.

"Signature" is a great introduction to Moya's sound if you're more a fan of pop than folk. If like me, you've loved Moya since Clannad, it's still a good addition to your music collection, particularly if you want a mix that spotlights Moya's amazing, hauntingly beautiful voice.

Of her solo CD's, this is perhaps Moya's most fluid and uplifting. It has the same contemplative feel as Two Horizons and Whisper to the Wild Waters, yet there is a deeper sense of 'flow' in this ensemble of tunes; a spiritul 'movement' enlivens the CD from beginning to end. The sound occasionally reminds me of Clannad's in their most mature phase (Sirius - Legend). There is a sense of joy in this music that is reminiscent of Perfect Time. An excellent album; I play it every day.

I love this album.The fantastic blend of instruments with Moya's "voice of clannad" vocal style makes this a must have. Great Irish trad instruments as well as acoustic guitar, string and piano arrangements. Brilliant!

A beautiful cd by a wonderful singer! And she even wrote most
of the songs which is amazing by others' standards. If you
love Celtic music, I'm sure you've heard of this lady and
will enjoy this cd. Thank you Ms. Brennan for another wonderful
gift you've given your fans to enjoy.

An artfully crafted blend of traditional celtic/folk sound and contemprary songs. Not quite what you'd hear at a folk club, to be sure, but you can definately hear the traditional celtic influences. Several of the songs have a bit of Gaelic woven into them somewhere, one even has some chorus & background sung in Native American tongues. Beautiful vocals too. I absolutely love it :)

After the electronic, New Age "Two Horizons," it was nice to see Moya return to a more acoustic sound. This album, telling about the good and the bad in her life, is very beautiful. The acoustic sound fits perfectly and adds to the personal emotion that I believe the artist meant to convey.

Highlights include: "Purple Haze," "Merry-go-round," "Always," "Black Night," "Many Faces," "Hear My Prayer," and "I Will Find You" (a lovely cover of Clannad's theme for "Last of the Mohicans, which Moya sang in years ago). If you enjoy Clannad and Moya Brennan, this album is definitely for you.

Grabbed this one off the store shelf after hearing the first couple of cuts, and was not disappointed. None of the songs has the Irish-pub edge of some of her other stuff, but within the gentler demeanor of this CD there is tremendous variety. And it is very uplifting, especially because of the sense of personal struggle of some of the songs: struggles overcome, especially by faith, are the most uplifting things of all. Superb.

Moya was a new artist to me and I approached this album with a bit of trepidation. Once I heard it, however, it rose to the top of the "to be played today" list. Despite playing it over and over, I have yet to tire of it.

If you like Celtic music, this is a "must have."

I have this cd 3 weeks now. I like it very much, it's a very moving and enchanting cd. It's always difficult buying a cd based on some pieces of music from about 30 seconds. But talking about Maire/Moya Brennan you never buy a pig in a poke (my personal opinion). Just sit back in a quiet place and enjoy this music. No yoga can compare with this. I hope there are more cd's from her to come.