Catrin O'Neill
Album: Nain's Kitchen
Label: Sparkling Wine
Tracks: 13
Website: www.catrinoneill.com

Some of the more astute of you may recognise the cover to the right. Some of you may have already bought the album, back when it was came out in its proto-form as a ten track self released album. We featured in our releases section before describing it as:

"Any album with a song about drinking hard cider has got something going for it. Catrin O'Neill has put together an album of traditional classics and contemporary gems that I guess she's hoping will add to their number. "Nain's Kitchen" is an album of stoves and crock pots rather than ovens and bowls, songs of the people, not the peers, but delightfully practical with nothing going to waste. O'Neill herself can turn her voice from songs, sang almost angelically in Gaelic to rough drinking songs that seem to put you over the drink drive limit just by listening. Refreshingly direct."

I'll also hold my hand up and say this has been out a while, but the opportunity to explore the album in a new form proved just too tempting to resist.

Eight songs from the original album make the cut here and those that do have been reworked, there feels like more depth to the sound. Delightfully that doesn't seem to have impacted the delivery, where songs need a rough and ready sound, they've retained it. O'Neill's voice is as expressive as ever but it feels as though it's in a richer environment.

The re-ordering and addition of new tracks have given the album a better flow, similarly drawing some of the songs gives more opportunity to explore them in more depth. "I Am Stretched Upon Your Grave" gets nearly two more minutes giving both words and music a chance to reflect the lamenting remorse.

It's strange revisiting an album a little way down the line, but I've thoroughly enjoyed the journey and even if this is your first trip along the track, you'll not fail to appreciate the aural delight of an album well sung.

Neil King