COMPOSERS: Grada
LABELS: Compass
ALBUM TITLE: Grada
PERFORMER: Grada (vocals, strings etc)
CATALOGUE NO: 744512
Two Celtic releases from the US folk label Compass offer complementary fresh takes on traditional forms. Grada, fronted by the persuasive voice of Nicola Joyce, bolsters the band with guest instruments and gives the Irish metres a touch of syncopation and cross-rhythm and burgeoning counterpoint.
There are leaner versions on the accompanying DVD from a Dublin performance, in which the singing is close-miked and breathy but the energy levels high, and the flautist’s exceptional musicianship comes into its own.