It's been a long time between albums for the MacNeil clan. The last
was a Christmas album in 2013, and before that, not counting
collaborative releases or live shows, it was All At Once in 2005 when
the group last recorded a proper set of new stuff. Not that they haven't
been busy of course; touring throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe has
seen them earn their nickname of Canada's music ambassadors, considered
one of the top groups in the Celtic scene. They must have been itching
to do it; the new album has kicked off a string of live dates the last
few months, partying it up in Toronto this week. Having caught one lately, I can report they're kicking
up a storm.
What has always set the group apart has been the flexibility of the
family, each member able to bring something different to the table. That
means they can be as trad as can be for the purists, but can also throw
in a couple of curve balls with some modern pop sounds. Here we get an
instrumental jig to start things off, "Welcome To Boston," but by cut
three, Living The Dream, it's a track with a funky beat, singing about
modern conveniences and overspending, getting their house with "a
satellite dish and a couple of cats." Of course it's delivered so fresh
and fun, it fits in well with all the lively Celtic stuff. And by the
next track, Ribhinn Donn, which Lucy sings entirely in Gaelic, a lovely
number able to stir any heart. The men show off their vocal prowess too,
on the a cappella The Underachiever, which sounds like some ancient sea
shanty but features a modern lyric about the trials of someone who
can't get ahead. Daisy could be a standout track on any
singer-songwriter record, Lucy shining again, only the slightest trad
touch coming from the driving bouzouki line. Clouds Under My Feet is
even more surprising, with its Euro-beat and thick bass and drums, Lucy
channeling her inner Annie Lennox. Pretty crafty, these MacNeils, yes
they're Celtic, but they're Celtic-plus.
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