Born in Dublin, Alison recorded her first single, “Feeling High” for SNP’s Simon Napier Bell and David Hemmings at the age of 15 with the cult folk-rock band, Mellow Candle. They signed to Decca’s Deram label in the early 70’s and gigged their album ‘Swaddling Songs’ in Ireland and Britain, playing with the likes of Genesis, Thin Lizzy, Donovan, The Chieftains and Steeleye Span. Over the years Alison has lived in different countries before returning to Ireland in 2001 and has continued to record and release with such artists as the traditional group Flibbertigibbet, The Owl Service and The United Bible Studies plus solo projects.
This album was released in the middle of 2022, although it has only just come to my attention, and finds Alison firmly in the tradition. Although she was 70 when this album was released, her vocals have aged but she is still able to hold long notes, has wonderful range and her voice doesn’t go sharp which happens to some older female singers. The result is an album which is fresh, with different accompaniments throughout, always with her vocals very much front and centre. Like many interested in classic folk and folk rock I am fully aware of Mellow Candle but had not previously come across any of Alison’s solo works and if they are all like this then I can see I need to amend that quite quickly. In many ways she reminds me of Maryen Cairns, but coming at it from a more folky area, although it often feels English with a hint of Celtic as opposed to the other way around, which is what I would expect. It is inviting, and with the use of different instruments Alison has allowed herself to show a range of styles, often attempting to get a message across, such as “Brothers Grey” which is an anti-blood sports number, bringing the politics back into folk where it has often been so much of a driving force. There is a freshness to this album which makes it refreshing, and any folkies who have yet to hear this need to do so.
Rating: 8/10
Links:
http://www.alisonodonnell.com/
https://www.talkingelephant.co.uk/
