Maria Doyle Kennedy - Sing
Artist: Maria Doyle Kennedy
Album: Sing
Rating: 5/5
Maria Doyle Kennedy is best known perhaps as an actress with roles in the likes of Downton Abbey and The Tudors but she is one of the best known musicians in her native Ireland.
And this week we are going to see why she has had so much success with her music career back home with the release of her new album Sing - which is her debut release here in the UK.
Sing is an incredibly eclectic album that sees Kennedy including a wide range of genres including Celtic, Folk and Bluegrass to name just a few.
Single Am I Choosing Right is the first track on the album and it is one of the songs that does stand out.
There is a very sensual feel to her vocal and the upbeat nature of the record suits her voice incredibly well as she brings real life to the lyrics.
This is also one of the most upbeat tracks on the record as title track Sing goes down a different path as it is one of the most stripped back tracks.
Kennedy teams up with Damien Rice and these two complimentary voices take centre stage as they are supported predominantly by an acoustic guitar before some beautiful Celtic elements kick in to give the song that extra layer.
The Silence is another highlight as Kennedy sings about finding your voice as well as your identity. The track starts out very simply before it crescendos into a song that has an ethereal fell to it.
It’s hard to understand why Maria Doyle Kennedy has waited so long to release her debut record here in the UK as Sing is one of the best albums that I have listened to so far this year.
She delivers every song with such feeling and emotion that it really gets under your skin and carries the listener away.
She is an artist that is constantly experimenting with her sound and while all the tracks to fit well together there are not two songs that sound the same - she jumps so easily from one genre to another.
There is a real purity to her vocal and that along with the beautiful instrumentation that is present on every track creates real musical magic.
Sing is one of the most eclectic sounding albums of 2012 so far and this looks set to put Maria Doyle Kennedy well and truly on the music map - miss this record at your peril!!
Maria Doyle Kennedy - Sing is released 10th September
Click here to buy the album Sing
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw