Reviews

Artist: Cara Dillon
Album:After The Morning
Label:Rough Trade Records
Tracks: 12
Rating: ****
Contact:   www.caradillon.co.uk

It's been five years since Cara's self titled debut album and three years since "Sweet Liberty", the last album that had Cara's name alongside the title. That's not to say that she's been lounging about. There's been a host of guest appearances, both on recordings and out on the road. There's been inclusion in film sound tracks and Billy Connolly's recent series.
Like it's predecessors, "After The Morning" features a combination of self penned tracks and carefully selected traditional tracks that are best able to show case, Dillon's extremely expressive vocal. "The Snows The Melt The Soonest" is probably te best example of this. If you didn't know the songs you would swear that it had been written exclusively for Cara.
It pairs spectacularly well with "October Winds", which she wrote with partner and producer, Sam Lakeman, following the death of her father. Lakeman also performs on the album and is joined in Cara's band, by none other than Neill MacColl.
Cara and Sam have often spent time on the otherside of the Atlantic, both to experience the music as well as to perform. Cara was there most recently as part of "A Woman's Heart" which also took her back to her native Ireland. The album is informed by trips like that. Celtic flavours mix with Americana to give the album a more global appeal. It's not mid-atlantic, it's definitely sounds from this side of the pond, but there are definite phrases that show Cara Dillon lives her experience and adds to the living canon that is folk music.
As well as the traditional elements to the songs, "After The Morning" draws on contemporary themes and moments. "Bold Jamie" is a traditional track of the 21st centuary. By which I mean that whilst grounded in the past in terms of it's structure the song has a very new feel about it. It takes the history of traditional song and adds a paragraph to of the here and now.
Whilst no longer based in Ireland, the country will always be part of her spirit and make up. It inspires much of the album, "Brockagh Braes" is a song from her past, as is "The Streets Of Derry", for which Cara drafted in the great Paul Brady for the duet.
Cara Dillon, has delivered her third successive album of quality that will no doubt bring with it a host of award nominations. It's an album that works from start to finish. The production and instrumentation are well thought through. The songs carefully positioned to give the album a complete feel, rather than a collection of songs. It holds together well, but the glue that really binds it tightly is Cara's amazing voice