Description
Signature is a solo album by the Irish folk singer and songwriter Moya Brennan of Clannad fame (a.k.a. Máire Brennan – since 2002 she is known under the phonetic spelling of her name, Moya Brennan), released by BEO Records in August 2006, manufactured and marketed by Sparrow Records, a division of EMI CMG Label Group. The album was recorded and mixed by Fionán De Barra at Mo Studio in Dublin, Ireland; and was produced by Moya Brennan with De Barra co-producing.
‘Signature’ is the latest release from Moya Brennan and it finds the Clannad vocalist in fine form. Billed as a series of snapshots from the songwriter’s life, this collection is a bitter sweet array of soul baring songs that are both innovative and intriguing at the same time. Although deeply rooted in the Irish music tradition, Brennan is not afraid to stretch the limits and this is clearly evident in the stunning opener «Purple Haze» (no relation to the Hendrix song), complete with pounding rhythm, ambient harmonies and a pipes solo by Eamonn Galldubh to die for. Elsewhere, the Celtic genre is mixed with the Eastern in the delightful «Many Faces». The proceedings soon settle down to her trademark mellow pace with the likes of «No One Talks» – a tale of hope despite the circumstances – and the subtle worship of «Tapestry». The musicianship on this album is natural and exquisite and Brennan’s harp playing shines in the aforementioned «Tapestry» and a version of the Gaelic song «Pill A Run O». All songs have been co-written by Brennan and she has an uncanny knack of getting the overall theme of the song across whilst leaving ample room for the listener to make his or her own interpretation of the lyrics – perhaps most evident in the poignant «Hidden Stories». As producer, songwriter, musician and vocalist, Moya continues to demonstrate quality talents while this mainstream release will hopefully lead others to where her gifts come from. [Lins Honeyman, Cross Rhythms, November 2006]
Having brought out an autobiography it was always likely that Moya Brennan’s life would find its way into album form. Signature is that collection, but Brennan insists that the songs are “just snapshots” that give impressions of incidents or stages in her life and eschew chronological order.
Some of the lush production that characterized Clannad has returned to her solo work, yet there are enough lightly-touched pieces to let her harp playing sparkle. Even the Celtic instrumentation is used with great discretion. After the somewhat meandering ‘Two Horizons’ – where the story was hard to detect, let alone follow – Signature is focused and full of strong songs, each deserving its place.
While many of her lyrics are “abstract” there is no mistaking some of the incidents referred to, such as the lostness of her narcotics years in «Purple Haze» and the darkness of the time when she had an abortion in «Black Night».
In the same way the hope and joy of forgiveness shines through brightly in other places. «Hear my Prayer» is plainly about coming to faith (‘Hear my voice, stay with me/ Bring cool water to my lips/ Hear my prayer, set me free/ Sing Hallelujah’). «Tapestry» is about the story of a boy who used to look up at his mother’s weaving and think that it looked a mess, whereas looking at the ‘proper’ side, his mother could see its true pattern.
The final track, born of her experience in traditional Gaelic music, “is about a mother’s sadness over her son leaving the ministry and her not knowing what’s going to happen to him. She’s basically asking him not to desert her either. It’s a forgiveness song.”
With its musical consistency, lush muti-tracking, strong tunes, real life connections and spiritual themes, this CD is among the very best of her work – and that includes the Clannad years. [Derek Walker, The Phantom Tollbooth, 2/25/2007]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/signature/624217705)
CD tracklist:
01. Purple Haze – 4:02
02. No One Talks – 4:23
03. Merry Go-Round – 4:36
04. I Will Find You – 4:03
05. Always – 4:05
06. Tapestry – 3:42
07. Black Night – 3:18
08. Hear My Prayer – 3:44
09. Never Stray Far Away – 4:19
10. Many Faces – 3:33
11. Hidden Stories – 4:20
12. Gone Are The Days – 4:05
13. Pill A Run O – 3:47
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