by Catherine L. Tully

Artist: Pol Mac Adaim
Album: "Forsaken Land"
Year produced: 2006

This is a very interesting CD. Pol Mac Adaim sings throughout the album in English, Spanish and Irish, and each language sounds unbelievably smooth and rich. His voice is so lovely it doesn't even seem to matter what the words are, and you can find yourself just drifting along with the music and melody.

On the other hand, this is not a man who writes easy, fluffy lyrics. After all, Pol Mac Adaim hails from Belfast, and isn't afraid to tread on heavy ground. This CD has him singing about serious subjects from the Spanish Civil War, to 1916 Easter Revolution in Ireland to the situation in Palestine. This is a thinkers album to be sure, but those who just love good sound will enjoy it just as much. Please don't miss track 4, "The Snows" with a flute so dreamy you'll wish you could float away on the sound and never return.

Referred to by some as a sort of "revolutionary" or "people's voice" Pol Mac Adaim definitely takes his heart and soul to the microphone with him and captures it well here on this album. The music remains simple, because the real highlight is the message and its delivery--both of which ring true here. While some music in this vein can get a little common and have a folk feel to it--this is different. It doesn't have the same grassroots feel to it--the sound is strong and the voice is sure and beautiful.

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Catherine L. Tully is a freelance writer and photographer who specializes in the arts. She has written for American Style and Classical Singer, among others and reviews music for Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her through her photography website at www.moonbeamdigital.com.

Labels: cd_review_2006

Posted by Marc Gunn, Friday, August 11, 2006.
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