Search - Kieran Kane :: Shadows on the Ground

O Brother Kieran

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 12/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I tuned into Kieran Kane after Emmylou covered a couple of his tunes which took me to the wonderful O'Kanes and then Kieran's fabulous solo career starting with that classic 1993 CD on Atlantic that had "That's What You Do (When You Love Somebody)" to his "Dead Rekoning" CD with the classic "Dirty Little Town" to his French lyric songs such as "J'aime Faire L'Amour" from "Six Days No Sun" to the great "Four Questions" from "The Blue Chair." This CD is a great departure."Shadows on the Ground" picks up on the O Brother soundtrack vein with acoustic bluegrass, Kane's most traditional recording. The opener "Ain't Holdin' Back" sounds most like his past work with that plucky guitar and bouncing rhythms. A.P. Carter's "Will You Miss Me" is given a strong reading with Harry Stinson & Tammy Rogers giving great bluegrass harmonies. The title track features Mike Henderson's mandolin on a lovely midtempo toe tapper, "Truth is always truth; stone is always stone; we all live & die...but not alone." The Kane-penned "Mountain Song" sounds like it just came down the mountains of West Virginia. "One Raindrop" with its country flare sounds like a renegade Hank Williams track, "One raindrop fell into the river, that's all that heaven would allow, one raindrop fell into the river, it's a different river now." "The Baby Keeps Cryin'" is a slow melancholy creeper. "Shut Up" beats like an Indian tom-tom. "Ooh you can't push too hard, you gotta let it grow," Kieran croons on the country soft shoe "Better When You Take It Slow." "Handsome Molly" is a seafaring ballad about a sailor's pretty girl. "June Carter (Sure Can Sing)" is a great country tribute to this matriarch of the Carter-Cash clan. The CD concludes with the sweet soft folk tune "Harmony" with co-writer Claudia Scott's pretty vocals. Kane steps into the traditional vein with "Shadows on the Ground" which will sound great to all who love the O Brother style recordings. Enjoy!"

Roots, Folk, and Country

high_fidelity | TN | 10/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just picked up Kieran Kane's new CD Shadows on the Ground. This album is a great mix of folk and country. My favorite tracks so far are "Will You Miss Me", and "June Carter (Sure Can Sing)", co-written with John Hadley and Kevin Welch. The lyrics are well crafted, and even humorous in the tribute "June Carter": "In a world of country costume jewelry, she's a diamond ring. June Carter sure can sing." I particularly enjoy Kieran's great rendition of "Handsome Molly", a traditional Irish tune. Any fan of singer-songwriters, or honest country will appreciate this album.
Highly Recommended"

Delicate, heartfelt and melodic

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 10/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kane is an independent record label owner who tends to do what he wants to with his idiosyncratic albums. This is a really purty, folk-flavored country outing, with a few songs in the middle that drift a bit, but a nice, strong set at the start, including an excellent version of the Carter Family oldie, "Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone." This is followed up with a charming little tribute tune, "June Carter Sure Can Sing." Other highlights include a pair of sweet original tunes, the delicate duet, "Harmony," and the finely crafted, rather poetic "One Raindrop," which both definitely make this a disc keeper. Recommended!"