Siobhán O’Brien's Cd Review by Froots Magazine, June Issue

FROOTS MAGAZINE REVIEW
Siobhán O’Brien's New Cd
SONGS I GREW UP TO
by John O'Regan
Froots Magazine June addition

Little Red Hen Music

Limerick born Siobhán O'Brien has made a commendable name on the Irish and American folk circuits doing primarily her own material. What lifts her apart from the trillion Vega acolytes is a razor sharp sense of tunnel vision coupled with a compelling stage presence. That is just one side of Ms. O'Brien's output - the other is this project Songs I Grew Up To. Consisting of material common to the American folk revival of the late '50s, 60s and 70s and gleaned from her familial record collections this is homage to Americana from a cosmopolitan Irish viewpoint. In essence it resembles the best elements f a rough cross between an Alan Lomax collection and Bowie's Pin Ups where songs almost considered beyond standards are revitalised. Take All My Trials for example, here rendered as a simple evocative homage to freedom from social oppression, her pure voice recalls Joan Baez but with an extra bittersweet tinge. The Fox known from Burl Ives and schooldays songbooks is reinvigorated with Pete Cummins' Dylan like backing vocals and Paddy Moloney's pipes and whistle light up the Long Black Veil. However while big honchos make guest slots teh main game is Siobhán O'Brien's doing - hers is a rich supple voice honed from years of practise and she knows her traditional ballads too offering a delicious resetting of the Lakes of Ponchartrain. Using her characteristic taste and experience SONGS I GREW UP TO offers a role model inhow to honour the daunting Americana songbook yet imprint ones own personality on such a project. This is quite a challenging dare and to Ms. O'Brien's credit she pulls it off admirably. The results are powerfully moving and make Songs I Grew Up To quite an event in the process.


Click on photo for larger view
Back tray of Siobhán O’Brien's Cd
"SONGS I GREW UP TO"
A story about Bob Dylan and Siobhán O’Brien

Purchase this CD - Songs I Grew Up To -CLICK HERE
http://www.myspace.com/siobhnobriensongsigrewupto

To Visit Siobhán O’Brien's Website -CLICK HERE
http://www.siobhanobrien.com/index.html