Kila’s Colm Goes Solo

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Irish Voice Entertainment

Kila’s Colm Goes Solo

April 16, 2008

By Mike Farragher

ONE of the most exciting bands to come out of Ireland in many a decade is Kila. They are traditional musicians with an almost pagan disregard for the genre, throwing rain sticks, bongo pattering and other international textures into their Irish stew.

It’s a thrill each time one of them steps away from the pack, and the new release from Colm O’Snodaigh, Giving, is no exception. He trades in the tribal textures for a good old-fashioned acoustic guitar for his first solo album since 1994.

The songs have an almost lullaby quality in them, and O’Snodaigh, who has a strong voice, chooses to use a register just barely above a whisper in many instances. In this environment, he is able to coax gentle performances from the likes of Hothouse Flowers’ singer Liam O Maonlai and guitarist Fiachna O Braonain,

He even recruits Lisa Hannigan for this project. I almost thought she joined the witness protection program since leaving the company of Damien Rice last year. Over a watery guitar, she sings a beautiful Gaelic coupling on “Uaireannta” and adds a subtle vocal brush stroke on “Rol On-Roll On.” There is a restless element of percussion in the title track that complements Hannigan’s lo-fi humming perfectly.

Like the best work of Kila, the choice of Gaelic singing on half of the tracks adds a primeval texture to the songs. Gaelic has its share of harsh and awkward phrasing, but in these sparse arrangements the words are allowed to breathe and expose a poetic beauty to the language.

“Maybe it’s me who hurts the most when we say goodbye/and miles and miles between us/make us touch by phone instead,” O’Snodaigh sings on the gorgeous “Maybe It’s Me.”

It’s an example of the introspective intelligence at play in both written word and sound that makes Giving such a pleasure. “So Long” is the kind of song that Van Morrison needs to write to break the monotony of his last few CDs.

A playful soprano sax adds a fresh jazzy vibe to the acoustic strumming on “So Long.” “ It is one of the few songs that you would call peppy.

Tracks like “Passing Through” are the musical equivalent of hot cocoa and an Ambien. With its down-shifting vibe and soothing vocal, this packaging should come with a warning discouraging someone from operating a vehicle.

I’m…getting…sleepy…typing…this! For more information on Giving, log onto Kila.ie. Sweet dreams are made of this.

Pick up a few of O’Snodaigh band’s CDs while you’re on the site. There’s not a bad one in the bunch!

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