Distant Shore

by Karan Casey

Overview

Having established herself as a marvelous traditional Irish singer, Karan Casey's decided to spread her wings and head into contemporary folk-pop. It's a good decision, as she proves to be just as adept and intimate a performer on modern material as the old songs. She's also an astute judge of songwriters, whether it's Billy Bragg's title track, a meditation on emigration, Tim O'Brien's "Another Day," or Ger Wolfe's excellent "The Curra Road." She keeps the feel loose throughout, almost like a session, but keeps herself front and center, never letting things stray too much out of focus. Her own singing is as understated as ever, letting less be a little more, giving a wonderful shine to something like "Distant Shore." There's also a very political element to her music, as she illustrates on "The Jute Mill Song" and her version of Ewan MacColl's "The Ballad of Tim Evans," an eloquent argument against the death penalty. Casey has matured, that much is obvious, and she's in the process of becoming a world-class interpreter of songs. ~ Chris Nickson

Product Details

Release Date:	02/11/2003
Label:	Shanachie
UPC:	0016351785329
Rank:	202503

Tracks

1. Distant Shore
2. Another Day
3. The Song of Lies
4. The Curra Road
5. The Ballad of Tim Evans
6. Just a Note
7. Lord MacDonald's
8. Quiet of the Night
9. Bata Is B¿¿thar
10. The Four Loom Weaver
11. The Jute Mill Song

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Karan Casey   Primary Artist
Karen Matheson   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Michael McGoldrick   Flute,Bodhran,Low Whistle
Niall Vallely   Concertina
Ewen Vernal   Double Bass,Bass (Electric)
Tim O'Brien   Mandolin,Vocals (Background)
Donald Shaw   Piano,Accordion,Keyboards,Wurlitzer
Dirk Powell   Banjo
Cillian Vallely   Low Whistle
James MacKintosh   Drums,Percussion
James Grant   Guitar (Acoustic)
Paul Meehan   Bouzouki,Guitar (Acoustic)
Dezi Donnelly   Fiddle
Mel Mercier   Shaker,Berimbau
Malcolm Stitt   Bouzouki,Guitar (Acoustic)
Brendan Gleeson   Fiddle
Robbie Overson   Guitar (12 String)

Technical Credits

Kieran Lynch   Engineer
Karen Matheson   Arranger
Matt McGinn   Composer
Darrell Scott   Composer
Tim O'Brien   Composer
Donald Shaw   Mixing,Arranger,Engineer,Producer
Dan Fitzgerald   Engineer
John Spillane   Composer
Karan Casey   Arranger,Composer
Traditional   Composer
Paul McGeechan   Mixing,Engineer,Mastering
Billy Bragg   Composer
Ewan MacColl   Composer
Ger Wolfe   Composer
Colm Henry   Photography
Robin Rankin   Engineer