It has been two years since RUNA’s landmark 2012 album “Somewhere Along the Road.” The intervening months have been with the expected tours and special appearances and writing and arranging. Along the way, they have racked up many well-deserved awards.
At last, RUNA has released “Current Affairs.” It has been worth the wait. This is their fourth album and it shows a growth and expansion that was unanticipated in its breadth and depth. Especially since “Somewhere Along the Road” was such a very fine album. “Current Affairs” is so well-developed that it is bound to break the barriers that are created by a limited-genre listing.
Indeed, RUNA cannot any longer be simply categorized as solely Celtic, any longer. “Current Affairs” propels RUNA into untraveled provinces that await them with open arms. Some of the material on “Current Affairs” is rightly called bluegrass, as might be expected with the likes of guest musicians such as Bon Block, Buddy Greene and Jeff Taylor—Grammy nominees all—in addition to Patrick D’Arcy.
RUNA remains almost the same in its personnel with one sole exception, Maggie Estes White has replaced the irreplaceable Tomoko Omura on violin. White brings a raw approach and, for this album, it suits the material very well. After all, Kentucky-based White has bluegrass in her blood.
At last, RUNA has released “Current Affairs.” It has been worth the wait. This is their fourth album and it shows a growth and expansion that was unanticipated in its breadth and depth. Especially since “Somewhere Along the Road” was such a very fine album. “Current Affairs” is so well-developed that it is bound to break the barriers that are created by a limited-genre listing.
Indeed, RUNA cannot any longer be simply categorized as solely Celtic, any longer. “Current Affairs” propels RUNA into untraveled provinces that await them with open arms. Some of the material on “Current Affairs” is rightly called bluegrass, as might be expected with the likes of guest musicians such as Bon Block, Buddy Greene and Jeff Taylor—Grammy nominees all—in addition to Patrick D’Arcy.
RUNA remains almost the same in its personnel with one sole exception, Maggie Estes White has replaced the irreplaceable Tomoko Omura on violin. White brings a raw approach and, for this album, it suits the material very well. After all, Kentucky-based White has bluegrass in her blood.
RUNA The album opens with “The Banks are Made of Marble,” written by Les Rice who composed it during the Depression. The song became a staple of Pete Seeger’s repertoire. In the ravaged and savaged economy of 2014, “The Banks are Made of Marble” retains the power of its origin and is executed brilliantly with the plaintive violin of White and the aggressive guitar of Fionán de Barra. As always, Shannon Lambert-Ryan’s vocals are clear, distinctive and emotional. Her diction is flawless and her intonations subtle. She is truly one-of-a-kind, as it RUNA corporately.
“The Wife of Usher’s Well” is a traditional ballad with a history threaded throughout Britain and America. The story tells of a woman who has sent her three sons overseas for schooling only to discover that they have perished along the way. The mother is visited by the shades of the lost lads when they come to bid her a final farewell.
Jeff Taylor (from Elvis Costello’s band) adds his brilliant accordion playing to White’s violin. All the while, Cheryl Prashker punctuates the arrangement with her rapid-fire percussion. Prashker is always a bright spot with a great sense of the propulsion required for each peace. She is not simply a time-keeper, she pushes the music.
“The Wife of Usher’s Well” is a traditional ballad with a history threaded throughout Britain and America. The story tells of a woman who has sent her three sons overseas for schooling only to discover that they have perished along the way. The mother is visited by the shades of the lost lads when they come to bid her a final farewell.
Jeff Taylor (from Elvis Costello’s band) adds his brilliant accordion playing to White’s violin. All the while, Cheryl Prashker punctuates the arrangement with her rapid-fire percussion. Prashker is always a bright spot with a great sense of the propulsion required for each peace. She is not simply a time-keeper, she pushes the music.
Maggie Estes White and Shannon Lambert-Ryan On the other hand, “The Hunter’s Set” is more loosely performed and timed by de Barra and White in the introductory piece of the set entitlted “Brilliancy.” “Squirrel Hunter, “ “Chinaquapin Hunting” and “Dunbar” comprise the rest of the set. Traditional pieces one and all, they are riotously fun and performed with equal liveliness and humor. Jeff Taylor, Buddy Greene and Ron Block all contribute to the sound of these instrumental arrangements and the results are delightful.
“Henry Lee” is an aggressively told tale of the universal Lothario male who, in this telling, gets his just desserts in the end. The performance is counter-pointed between White’s flighty violin and de Barra’s menacing bass. Prashker’s drumming is the inexorable march to Henry Lee’s comeuppance. A well-told episode engagingly narrated by both vocals and instrumentation.
Amos Lee (no relation to Henry Lee) penned the fifth track “Black River” and it is sung soulfully by Dave Curley. The song is an appeal to various forces—“savior”, “whiskey” and “river”—to “carry my cares away.” It is a touching performance.
Two pieces—“Aoidh, Na Déan Cadal Idir” and “A Chomarigh Aoibhinn Ó”—were woven together with a superb segue from lullaby to ballad. Again, the vocals carry the strength of the pieces while the guitar and violin add the sweet melancholy to the track.
“Henry Lee” is an aggressively told tale of the universal Lothario male who, in this telling, gets his just desserts in the end. The performance is counter-pointed between White’s flighty violin and de Barra’s menacing bass. Prashker’s drumming is the inexorable march to Henry Lee’s comeuppance. A well-told episode engagingly narrated by both vocals and instrumentation.
Amos Lee (no relation to Henry Lee) penned the fifth track “Black River” and it is sung soulfully by Dave Curley. The song is an appeal to various forces—“savior”, “whiskey” and “river”—to “carry my cares away.” It is a touching performance.
Two pieces—“Aoidh, Na Déan Cadal Idir” and “A Chomarigh Aoibhinn Ó”—were woven together with a superb segue from lullaby to ballad. Again, the vocals carry the strength of the pieces while the guitar and violin add the sweet melancholy to the track.
Dave Curley and Fionán de Barra “The False Knight on the Road” is introduced by mandolin and guitar followed by Shannon’s singing the ballad of a clever boy on his way to school. The boy meets the false knight (the devil) who tries to trick the youngster with riddles. The boy’s victory lay in remaining fast and avoiding the devil’s traps and tricks. The boy defeats the devil with wit, much like the Gospel account of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness which many music historians believe to be the basis of this morality piece. RUNA offers the quick delivery of the song in corollary to the Gatling-gun pace of the devil’s trickery. Fun stuff.
One of the most fascinating pieces of the whole album is “Ain’t No Grave” by Claude Ely. This is an Appalachian gem—a précis of Ely’s sermons regarding the exchange of a life of hardship and disappointment for a life free of troubles.
Ely’s influence has been attributed to many influential musicians. Johnny Cash even recorded a cover of the song. RUNA, however, has taken the song—with its emphasis on drive and rhythm—and turned it into a RUNA masterpiece of arrangement and performance.
The agonized violin backdrop to the vocal anguish is transformed into a powerful piece of hope and determination. Fionán de Barra’s strident guitar with Curley’s mandolin and White’s skittering bow on violin is inspiring and invigorating. The mourning of the beginning surrenders to the thrill and energy of the conclusion. There is a hard groove here that is unforgettable. That groove almost turns this into a Gospel-Jazz piece—perhaps the most memorable on the album.
One of the most fascinating pieces of the whole album is “Ain’t No Grave” by Claude Ely. This is an Appalachian gem—a précis of Ely’s sermons regarding the exchange of a life of hardship and disappointment for a life free of troubles.
Ely’s influence has been attributed to many influential musicians. Johnny Cash even recorded a cover of the song. RUNA, however, has taken the song—with its emphasis on drive and rhythm—and turned it into a RUNA masterpiece of arrangement and performance.
The agonized violin backdrop to the vocal anguish is transformed into a powerful piece of hope and determination. Fionán de Barra’s strident guitar with Curley’s mandolin and White’s skittering bow on violin is inspiring and invigorating. The mourning of the beginning surrenders to the thrill and energy of the conclusion. There is a hard groove here that is unforgettable. That groove almost turns this into a Gospel-Jazz piece—perhaps the most memorable on the album.
Cheryl Prashker Kate Rusby’s “Who Will Sing Me Lullabies?” is a sweet and sad lament. This is a beautiful unison effort by vocalists and musicians in accord with one another. The crossing vocals and instruments are absolutely charming.
“The Ruthless Wife” is the only track on this album written by Shannon Lambert-Ryan and Fionán de Barra. It is centered on the death of Shannon’s great-great-grandfather in 1922. Again, Shannon’s crystal-clean enunciation in her singing makes the tale completely understandable and entertaining. The chord changes are stellar and Cheryl’s percussion is riveting. This is a classic-in-the-making.
The second “set” of the album is “The Land of Sunshine” and includes “Land of Sunshine,” “Paddy Lynn’s Delight,” “Gan Ainm” and “Donald Blue.” The set was compiled and arranged by Dave Curley. The play between violin, mandolin, banjo and guitar is intoxicating. This is a set that begs a dance and is pure joy.
“The Ruthless Wife” is the only track on this album written by Shannon Lambert-Ryan and Fionán de Barra. It is centered on the death of Shannon’s great-great-grandfather in 1922. Again, Shannon’s crystal-clean enunciation in her singing makes the tale completely understandable and entertaining. The chord changes are stellar and Cheryl’s percussion is riveting. This is a classic-in-the-making.
The second “set” of the album is “The Land of Sunshine” and includes “Land of Sunshine,” “Paddy Lynn’s Delight,” “Gan Ainm” and “Donald Blue.” The set was compiled and arranged by Dave Curley. The play between violin, mandolin, banjo and guitar is intoxicating. This is a set that begs a dance and is pure joy.
Shannon Lambert-Ryan The twelfth track is another couplet piece entitled “Rarie’s Hill/Norah’s Kitchen.” Both of these are traditional songs. They are also reminiscent of certain moments on Jethro Tull’s “Songs from the Wood” and I mean that as a compliment. The strong strum patterns and precise picking is intriguing. And Shannon’s vocals…
Those vocals get their finest moment on “The Last Trip Home” by Davey Steele. Shannon’s vocals soar and catch the wind as Fionán anchors the piece with delicate guitar and bass. It may very well be my favorite vocal piece for Shannon. It is warm and memorable and completely enthralling.
Celtic, Folk, Bluegrass, Gospel—even a brush of Jazz—and Blues, RUNA has developed an encompassing sound that will most certainly expand their fan base. Their arrangements are better than ever. Their musicianship is exciting, thrilling, warm and fun without ever losing their great skill at telling familiar tales.
While “Somewhere Along the Road” was indeed a landmark album, “Current Affairs” has shown RUNA pass by that landmark and moving on to new frontiers.
Visit RUNA's web site here: http://www.runamusic.com/wordpress/
and on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/RUNACelticmusic
Purchase RUNA's "Current Affairs" at CD Baby here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/runa14
Those vocals get their finest moment on “The Last Trip Home” by Davey Steele. Shannon’s vocals soar and catch the wind as Fionán anchors the piece with delicate guitar and bass. It may very well be my favorite vocal piece for Shannon. It is warm and memorable and completely enthralling.
Celtic, Folk, Bluegrass, Gospel—even a brush of Jazz—and Blues, RUNA has developed an encompassing sound that will most certainly expand their fan base. Their arrangements are better than ever. Their musicianship is exciting, thrilling, warm and fun without ever losing their great skill at telling familiar tales.
While “Somewhere Along the Road” was indeed a landmark album, “Current Affairs” has shown RUNA pass by that landmark and moving on to new frontiers.
Visit RUNA's web site here: http://www.runamusic.com/wordpress/
and on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/RUNACelticmusic
Purchase RUNA's "Current Affairs" at CD Baby here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/runa14
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