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MUSIC REVIEWS ~ HOTPRESS MAGAZINE Edwin McFee, 25 Aug 2011 Album Review Siobhan O’BrienShades of Stevie Nicks on the latest offering from this Irish songstress.
Album: Siobhán O'Brien 2011 Reviewed by Alex Henderson
When a singer/songwriter has a name like Siobhán O'Brien, lives in Limerick (which is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Ireland), and has performed as a guest vocalist for the Chieftains, one naturally assumes that some type of Celtic music is involved. And to be sure, there was a Celtic influence on her previous folk-rock album, Songs I Grew Up To. It contained performances of several American songs (including Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere,” the Grateful Dead’s “Muddy Black River,” Albert Frank Beddoe’s “Copper Kettle” and the Lefty Frizzell-associated “The Long Black Veil”) but nonetheless had some Celtic influence at times. In fact, the Chieftains’ Paddy Maloney appeared on O’Brien’s versions of “The Long Black Veil” and the standard “The Lakes of Ponchartrain.” However, this self-titled CD never really ventures into Celtic territory. It isn’t traditional Irish-Celtic music (such as the Chieftains, the Clancy Brothers, the Dubliners or the late Tommy Makem), and it isn’t Celtic rock (which could be anything from the Pogues to Clannad). Regardless, this is an excellent album from O’Brien, who continues to operate in the folk-rock/adult alternative realm. But this time, she does it with her own material. Songs I Grew Up To was an album of standards and covers, whereas this March 2011 release offers songs that O’Brien either wrote or co-wrote. She wrote most of the material herself, although Eamonn Hehir (the album’s producer and engineer) co-wrote three of the twelve tracks with her: “Leaving Me,” “Brightest Star” and “Sanctuary.” The writing is consistently strong whether the mood is happy and optimistic (“My Man,” “Sanctuary”) or melancholy (“Guilty of Despair,” “Naked,” “Access to Happiness Denied,” “Orphan Song”). O’Brien’s CD has its share of melancholy moments and songs about romantic relationships that didn’t work out. On “Leaving Me,” for example, O’Brien tells an ex-lover that leaving her was the best thing he ever did for her and gives a long list of reasons why she is glad that he is out of her life. But the mood is totally different on “My Man,” which finds O’Brien listing all of the things she likes about a man she is in a relationship with (a very different type of man from the one she describes on “Leaving Me”). “Access to Happiness Denied” is bluesy and jazzy in a way that brings to mind Maria Muldaur. It isn’t jazz or blues in the strict sense; O’Brien isn’t trying to emulate the late Abbey Lincoln any more than she is trying to emulate Koko Taylor. But “Access to Happiness Denied” demonstrates how beneficial jazz and blues elements can be on what is essentially a folk-rock song, and the lyrics are clever and dark-humored in a way that is clearly blues-minded. O’Brien (who plays both acoustic guitar and harmonica on Siobhán O'Brien) clearly has a strong emotional bond with American roots music. She demonstrated that on Songs I Grew Up To, and she continues to demonstrate it with her own material on this album. “Indians,” for example, is a shout out to Native American culture. In fact, O’Brien sings about Native American culture so convincingly on that someone who didn’t know anything about her background could easily assume that she grew up in Arizona or New Mexico instead of in Limerick, Ireland. Hehir, who produced and engineered this album favors an organic production style, underscoring her rootsy leanings. And O’Brien is also well served by the disc’s combination of acoustic and electric instruments; some keyboards are used, but mandolins, banjoes and acoustic guitar are also part of the equation. All of the pieces fall into place nicely on this consistently rewarding album. This self-titled CD is SIOBHAN O'BRIEN'S third and second full-length outing. Siobhan is a singer songwriter from Limerick and while she's the niece of legendary showband leader Brendan Bowyer, she's an accomplished performer in her own right. read more..
June 2011 Album review by MusicLimerick SINGER / Songwriter Siobhán O’Brien has released her new self-titled album. It follows the singer’s highly regarded covers album ‘Songs I grew up with’ from 2008. Siobhán has a long heritage in music stretching back four generations. Her great grandparents were travelling opera singers, The Bowyer/Westwood Opera company. Siobhán has played with and supported The Chieftains, Paul Brady, Sharon Shannon and Christy Moore. Her music is a timeless blend of folk/rock with country sung with a wonderful expressive, tremulous voice. read more.. BOSTON GLOBE By Linda Laban
Globe Correspondent / March 14, 2008 Siobhán O'Brien finds her own voice read more here MQ (Music Quarterly) IMRO Magazine April '07 issue. David Crosby, formerly of renowned supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, reckons that since Joni Mitchell retired, Shawn Colvin is the best female songwriter in the world. But then he probably hasn't heard of Gemma Hayes, Shaz Oye, or Siobhán O'Brien.
Jackie Hayden, Hot Press magazine, Dec. '06 Siobhán O'Brien has been round this way before and now she's back with a searing anti-war song "Beautiful Bodies". It has a neat pop-rock beat that's in stark contrast to the graphic anti-war lyrics. It sure makes a change from all those songwriters struggling to find their inner adult. "Indians" looks at the plight of the Native American in a track embellished by gutsy guitar. "My Man" is more laid back and is a charming country-folk tune, with O'Brien's voice at its most seductive. With three gems this good, I broke the habit of a lifetime and listened to track four, 'Naked'. I wasn't disappointed. South by Southwest Festival, Austin, TX, Hot Press, Mar '99
Later came Limerick's Siobhan O'Brien who scored with her intelligent songs, despite under-using her skills on the harmonica. O'Brien had been equally impressive on the acoustic soundstage the previous day where Kevin Doherty also put his name on a ticket for a future big-time status.
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