Glad to share with you this review written by my blogger partner Mike Wilson.
All rights reserved by the author and published under his kind permission.
This is the first studio recording from
Mary Black in six years, and it's a collection that demonstrates an
artist in full command of her bewitching vocal prowess. Throughout an
impressive career, Mary has consistently demonstrated impeccable
taste in her choice of material, and the evidence presented here
suggests that her ear for seeking out songs of utmost grace and
beauty is as keen as ever. With a voice that has only gained in depth
and resonance over the years, Mary brings her trademark warmth and
sincerity, casting light and shade amongst the lyrics to create her
own personal space amongst the words of carefully chosen songwriters.
Never one to rest on her laurels, we're gifted songs from familiar
friends such as Shane Howard, Eric Bogle and Julie Matthews,
alongside burgeoning writing talents, including Danny O'Reilly and
Ricky Lynch.
Sharing the stage with a number of
guests, Stories From The Steeples contains three duets: the beguiling
"Lighthouse Light" features Janis Ian in a perfectly
balanced performance that whets the appetite for further exploration
of this winsome partnership; the robust, soulful voice of Imelda May
joins Mary on an affirmative song of place and belonging, "Mountains
To The Sea"; and the playful "Walking With My Love"
finds Mary exchanging lines with the legendary Finbar Furey. All
three performances are notable for their palpable sense of modesty
and mutual admiration.
Two stand-out tracks come from
particularly close to home, being written by Mary's son, Danny
O'Reilly. "Faith In Fate" paints a stark contrast between
the sheer despair of a broken relationship with a determined
hopefulness to move on and patch things up. Managing to be
simultaneously bleak and uplifting with its heady infusion of hurt
and devoted affection, it's a song that plays to all the strengths of
Mary's typically emotion-wrought interpretation. Offering a similar
cocktail of emotions, "Wizard of Oz" is a mournful
reflection on the search for strength and happiness, underpinned by a
dreamy string arrangement over which Mary lays her heartwarming
vocals.
Fulfilling the role of storyteller,
Mary excels in bringing lifelike colour to the characters of
"Marguerite And The Gambler," a Ricky Lynch song that
recounts the familiar tale of many a traditional folk ballad, with
its gamblers, true love, misguided familial intervention, heartbreak
and devastation. Those purchasing the extended version of the album
are handsomely rewarded with an exquisite reading of Chris Woods'
"One In A Million," a story of true love that takes the
mundanities of life and turns it in to utter magic, and proving
beyond any doubt that Mary remains a song's best friend.
Paul Kelly's "They Thought I Was
Asleep" benefits from a tender reading, cloaked in Mary's
trademark warmth, depicting the torment of a child inadvertently
witnessing from the back seat of a car, the emotional breakdown of
his parents' relationship. Equally devastating, though of more epic
proportions, Eric Bogle's "All the Fine Young Men" is made
all the more disarming, thanks to the sheer reverence with which Mary
furnishes this stark, anti-war anthem.
With a little less polish than some of
her earlier releases, Stories From The Steeples steps forward as an
intimate, unpretentious collection, bathed in a soft but radiant glow
of effortlessness and wholehearted integrity. Time will tell, but
Stories From The Steeples may well prove to be Mary's best yet.
Track List
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1 | Marguerite and the Gambler | 4:26 | ||
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2 | The Night Was Dark and Deep | 3:53 | ||
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3 | Mountains to the Sea | 4:56 | with Imelda May | |
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4 | Faith in Fate | 4:21 | ||
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5 | Steady Breathing | 3:46 | ||
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6 | Walking with my Love | 3:34 | with Finbar Furey | |
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7 | All The Fine Young Men | 4:14 | ||
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8 | The Night Is On Our Side | 3:48 | ||
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9 | Lighthouse Light | 4:01 | with Janis Ian | |
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10 | Wizard of Oz | 4:21 | ||
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11 | One True Place | 5:15 | ||
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12 | Fifi the Flea | 2:43 | Bonus Track | |
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13 | On a Winter's Afternoon | 4:20 | Bonus Track | |
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14 | One In A Million | 9:51 | Bonus Track |
Mary Black Anthology Video
You may find an anthology video on YouTube
that shows the story of Mary Black's music. It takes you on a journey
through her more than 30 years spanning music career. Starting with her
first TV performance of Anachie Gordon it takes you past landmarks such
as Song for Ireland, Katie, Bright Blue Rose and Your Love using clips
taken from live performances at the Royal Albert Hall and the Olympia,
performances in TV programs and video clips. This anthology also
provides you with a peek at Mary's upcoming album 'Stories from the
Steeples' with her single Marguerite and the Gambler.
Official Site
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