Damien O'Kane - Avenging and Bright (2017) [Hi-Res]
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BAND/ARTIST: Damien O'Kane
- Title: Avenging and Bright
- Year Of Release: 2017
- Label: Pure Records (Yorkshire) Ltd
- Genre: Pop, Folk, Acoustic, Singer-Songwriter
- Quality: mp3 320 kbps / flac lossless (tracks) / flac 24bits - 96.0kHz
- Total Time: 00:50:52
- Total Size: 121 / 306 mb / 1.05 gb
- WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist
01. Boston City
02. Poor Stranger
03. Though All Bright Flowers
04. Avenging and Bright
05. Castle Kelly's
06. Lately
07. All Among the Barley
08. January Man
09. The Homes of Donegal
10. Many's the Night
11. Dancing in Puddles
This month Coleraine native, Yorkshire resident, guitar and banjo genius Damien O’Kane is set to top off an exceptionally busy year with Avenging & Bright; an album that builds on the solid foundation laid in his remarkable 2015 album, Areas Of High Traffic (reviewed here). That album saw Damien take what he does best, adapt traditional songs to his own melodies, and stretch his creativity like never before. In 2017, however, the sharp suit and smooth chin that shone from the cover of that album are gone. Avenging & Bright proves it was no flash in the pan, but, inspired by ancient legend, Damien is back with a sword as sharp as his suit.
Damien’s love of traditional Irish songs, and especially of creating his own melodies to go with them, first bore fruit in 2010, with Summer Hill. In Areas Of High Traffic, the source material and the philosophy behind the music were the same, but the approach was markedly different. Bringing together a core band that were able to set a mix of traditional and contemporary songs in an entirely new, and exciting, light; earning Damien a nomination for Best Album at the 2016 Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Avenging & Bright opens by exploring beyond the Irish traditional canon with Boston City. There’s an immediately arresting, pulsing beat from Josh Clark‘s percussion and programming to accompany the mix of Steven Byrnes and Steven Iveson‘s electric guitars. All three provide a colourful backdrop for the comparatively laid-back approach from Damien’s vocal and acoustic tenor guitar. As the song progresses and incorporates the peerless banjo of special guest Ron Block (Alison Krauss Band), the ebb and flow is highlighted by a vocal performance from Damien that remains relaxed whatever the pace. Boston City is a strong opening and a clear indication that the band have not been resting on their laurels.
As Damien mentioned in our Folk East interview in September (read it here), much of the first half of this year was taken up working with his wife, Kate Rusby, on her exceptional 2017 Christmas album Angels & Men (see our Artist of the Month for December). In addition to touring with Kate’s band, producing Angels & Men, and Kate’s superb 2016 album Life In A Paper Boat, he’s also been touring in his own right, performing the songs from Areas Of High Traffic with a full band; but also with a more stripped-back approach, in a trio alongside guitarists Steve Iveson and Steven Byrnes.
The approach on Avenging & Bright could never be described as stripped-back, although among the complex and exquisitely produced layers of sound there’s still room for some more gentle moments, especially when Kate Rusby provides the backing vocals for her own song, Lately. Featuring a hypnotic duet of electric tenor guitar from Damien and Steven Byrnes, Kate’s song, from her 2010 album, Make The Light, flows along very, very gently and could almost have been written for Damien’s engaging Irish vocal. Paul Brady‘s is the best-known version of Seán McBride’s song of warm welcomes, The Homes of Donegal. Light electric guitar provides a soothing opening voice for the melody before Damien’s vocal takes up the song, and the warmth of the lyrics is reflected in the richness of bass and keyboards.
It’s clear from those few examples that as well as being comfortable using the band’s expansive settings for a gentle approach, Damien’s also happy to take on songs from contemporary songwriters. Perhaps the most impressive example on the album is his cover of January Man, by Derbyshire singer, folklorist and master drystone waller, Dave Goulder. The many versions of this song have always had a sense of latent power about them; after a soft, choppy electric guitar for the opening, Damien gradually unleashes that power towards an epic closing sequence with a decent measure of reverb. The album’s title track reaches a little further back. Avenging & Bright takes 19th Century poet Thomas Moore’s ballad on a cantering, dramatic journey. The song is based on the story of The Three Sons of Usnach, often known in Scotland as Deirdre Of The Sorrows. Part of the great Cuchulain of Muirthemne, the story has also inspired the album’s artwork. For the song itself, there’s that same, sparkling duet of electric tenor guitars, a solid backing from Anthony Davis’ keyboards, Josh Clark’s percussion and Steven Iveson’s rhythm guitar – every bit as fascinating as the legend.
01. Boston City
02. Poor Stranger
03. Though All Bright Flowers
04. Avenging and Bright
05. Castle Kelly's
06. Lately
07. All Among the Barley
08. January Man
09. The Homes of Donegal
10. Many's the Night
11. Dancing in Puddles
This month Coleraine native, Yorkshire resident, guitar and banjo genius Damien O’Kane is set to top off an exceptionally busy year with Avenging & Bright; an album that builds on the solid foundation laid in his remarkable 2015 album, Areas Of High Traffic (reviewed here). That album saw Damien take what he does best, adapt traditional songs to his own melodies, and stretch his creativity like never before. In 2017, however, the sharp suit and smooth chin that shone from the cover of that album are gone. Avenging & Bright proves it was no flash in the pan, but, inspired by ancient legend, Damien is back with a sword as sharp as his suit.
Damien’s love of traditional Irish songs, and especially of creating his own melodies to go with them, first bore fruit in 2010, with Summer Hill. In Areas Of High Traffic, the source material and the philosophy behind the music were the same, but the approach was markedly different. Bringing together a core band that were able to set a mix of traditional and contemporary songs in an entirely new, and exciting, light; earning Damien a nomination for Best Album at the 2016 Radio 2 Folk Awards.
Avenging & Bright opens by exploring beyond the Irish traditional canon with Boston City. There’s an immediately arresting, pulsing beat from Josh Clark‘s percussion and programming to accompany the mix of Steven Byrnes and Steven Iveson‘s electric guitars. All three provide a colourful backdrop for the comparatively laid-back approach from Damien’s vocal and acoustic tenor guitar. As the song progresses and incorporates the peerless banjo of special guest Ron Block (Alison Krauss Band), the ebb and flow is highlighted by a vocal performance from Damien that remains relaxed whatever the pace. Boston City is a strong opening and a clear indication that the band have not been resting on their laurels.
As Damien mentioned in our Folk East interview in September (read it here), much of the first half of this year was taken up working with his wife, Kate Rusby, on her exceptional 2017 Christmas album Angels & Men (see our Artist of the Month for December). In addition to touring with Kate’s band, producing Angels & Men, and Kate’s superb 2016 album Life In A Paper Boat, he’s also been touring in his own right, performing the songs from Areas Of High Traffic with a full band; but also with a more stripped-back approach, in a trio alongside guitarists Steve Iveson and Steven Byrnes.
The approach on Avenging & Bright could never be described as stripped-back, although among the complex and exquisitely produced layers of sound there’s still room for some more gentle moments, especially when Kate Rusby provides the backing vocals for her own song, Lately. Featuring a hypnotic duet of electric tenor guitar from Damien and Steven Byrnes, Kate’s song, from her 2010 album, Make The Light, flows along very, very gently and could almost have been written for Damien’s engaging Irish vocal. Paul Brady‘s is the best-known version of Seán McBride’s song of warm welcomes, The Homes of Donegal. Light electric guitar provides a soothing opening voice for the melody before Damien’s vocal takes up the song, and the warmth of the lyrics is reflected in the richness of bass and keyboards.
It’s clear from those few examples that as well as being comfortable using the band’s expansive settings for a gentle approach, Damien’s also happy to take on songs from contemporary songwriters. Perhaps the most impressive example on the album is his cover of January Man, by Derbyshire singer, folklorist and master drystone waller, Dave Goulder. The many versions of this song have always had a sense of latent power about them; after a soft, choppy electric guitar for the opening, Damien gradually unleashes that power towards an epic closing sequence with a decent measure of reverb. The album’s title track reaches a little further back. Avenging & Bright takes 19th Century poet Thomas Moore’s ballad on a cantering, dramatic journey. The song is based on the story of The Three Sons of Usnach, often known in Scotland as Deirdre Of The Sorrows. Part of the great Cuchulain of Muirthemne, the story has also inspired the album’s artwork. For the song itself, there’s that same, sparkling duet of electric tenor guitars, a solid backing from Anthony Davis’ keyboards, Josh Clark’s percussion and Steven Iveson’s rhythm guitar – every bit as fascinating as the legend.
Year 2017 | Pop | Folk | FLAC / APE | Mp3 | HD & Vinyl
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