by Michelle Osborne

Artist: Solas
Album: "The Hour Before Dawn"
Year produced: October 2000

I happened upon this album somewhat by accident. After looking through the entire Celtic section, I found some albums by Solas and 'The Hour Before Dawn' instantly drew my eyes. Without having ever heard anything by this group, I bought the album, a decision I have never regretted.

Founded by Seamus Egan (a talented multi-instrumentalist who plays flute and tenor banjo, among others), this quintet of brilliant Irish musicians has been hailed as one of the best in the genre. Since their inception in 1995, Solas has produced six albums and a live DVD, as well as several solo albums. They have also toured throughout the world.

The Hour Before Dawn (2000) was the fourth album put out by this group. The opening is a rollicking song in gaelic, sung by Deidre Scanlon (who replaced Karan Casey as Solas's main vocalist). While her voice is not as light and flexible as Karan's, her darker alto brings a new sound to Solas's songs. The second track, a set of reels, was what made me really sit up and take notice of what this group is doing.

"Granny Quinn's" is a celebration of Winifred Horan's fiddle playing, with all the drive and accentuation she is capable of. Seamus Egan takes over with "The Lilac Reel" and one can only gawk in utter awe at the brilliance of this young man's flute playing. This reel set is fast, it's furious, and it's what defines Solas's sound. Other highlights include Deidre Scanlon's "Last of the Great Whales" (a lament about the slaughter of these animals), "A Miner's Life," sung by John Doyle, and Boy/Girl Tune, a Mediterranean-influenced tune by Mick McAuley.

The final track is a joy all its own. Originally an instrumental tune written by Seamus Egan and rewritten with Sarah McLachlan for the movie Brothers McMullen, it is recorded here with Deidre Scanlon singing and a purely traditional group backing her up.

While not pure-drop trad, this group is well worth a listen (or a thousand) and this particular album is a definite must-buy. Solas can be found on the web. They have just finished recording their latest albums and it is expected to be available in the spring of 2005.

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Celtic MP3s Music Magazine writer, Michelle Osborne, a native to the central New York region, plays both high and low whistles regularly with the Syracuse Irish session. Besides being heavily involved in Irish traditional music, she is also a classical clarinetist and composer.

Labels: cd_review_2005

Posted by Marc Gunn, Wednesday, January 12, 2005.
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