Colette Kavanagh CD Review
Colette Kavanagh
Further Down The Line
**
A native of County Kildare, Colette recorded this, her debut album, at the Ashtown Studios in Dublin under the watchful eyes of producers Dave Browne and Dermot Lambert. Perhaps, rather prematurely, she has opted to include five original songs in the eleven song set, three written with Dave Browne and the other two with Browne and Dermot Lambert. The first of the Browne collaborations, Whenever I Look, contains the line: ‘I’m always running round in circles’ and unfortunately, as far as the lyrics go, that is what the young lady does, ultimately getting nowhere. The following Browne co-write, Further Down The Line is reputedly receiving considerable airplay in areas of Ireland. This number is very MOR and rather too repetitive and, sad to say, the third Kavanagh/Browne effort, Loving You, fails to make the listener sit up and take notice. Marginally better is the combined effort of Kavanagh, Browne and Dermot on Because Of You, but again, this is no masterpiece. The three join forces again on Rebekah’s Lullaby. I cannot be too harsh on this particular number because Rebekah happens to be Colette’s infant daughter, whom she clearly idolises. Colette’s heart is in the right place on this sentimental lullaby although the chorus is a shade too repetitive. Dermot Lambert penned Hotel Motel, but, like the rest of the original material it can hardly be said to set the album alight. In brief, lyrically, the original material is weak, fairly unconvincing, lacking in soul and on occasion one must concede that Colette is not exactly pitch perfect.
The remaining songs are covers, Walked From Dallas having been written by Leona Williams. This is a fine bluesy number, but Colette is not a convincing blues singer, so it falls a bit flat. Much better is her delivery of Emmylou Harris’ Deeper Well, the driving High On A Mountain Top, courtesy of Marty Stuart, and Gillian Welch’s No One Knows My Name. Colette closes her album with a cover version of Iris Dement’s Our Town. Although she handles it quite well, her version lacks the pained resignation that was so heart-wrenching in the original. Larry Kelly
L P JANE GUINNESS
Who is Larry Kelly - I know a larry Kelly - oh yes the one who hustles sheep from my estate and cannot speak proper english. For one to downgrade another is vulgar when cleary this person has never set out to look for negativety from one who is unknown in the music world - as Larry Kelly undoubtly is. When one is making music, writing, singing or performing anything artistic we have these little mites who like to bite and annoy just because they know that they are below us and like to remind us that they still exist - if they did not they would fade into obscurity into a mind numbing job, like working at the back of a grey office wearing a tight suit that they bought in the late seventies early eighties just before they got married and could afford something polyester (because it would last longer) then they decided that music would be better if they contributed to it by insulting and bringing their artistic peers down so they could feel better about their sad lives listening to b side records which they think made them educated in the music world.
I myself do like to listen to music, i myself know some people in the music business and i dont take life so seriously as clearly our friend Larry the Lamb Kelly does.
Darlings - send me a message on my comment.
L.P
Posted on: May 1st, 2008 at 10:10 am