Sean Doyle - Light The Half Light (15 tracks) +Album Reviews

The Irish tradition in a master's voice

Jerome Clark | Canby, Minnesota | 07/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Light and the Half-Light is just about a perfect recording. Irishman Sean Doyle is the father of John Doyle, once a member of Solas and still an active, visible figure on the Irish-American music scene. The elder Doyle has an extraordinary repertoire of traditional songs, many not well known, others surprising and satisfying variants of more familiar material. He also possesses a singing voice that manages to be both warm and melancholy at the same time. Set in stark, tasteful musical settings -- his son's guitar, sometimes augmented by fiddle, accordion, pipes, or banjo -- it wanders through a musicscape of evocative lyrics and unforgettable melodies. I have listened to Irish folk music most of my life, so I speak, I hope, with some authority when I say this one is destined to be an enduring classic. There's nothing fancy here, but what's here is all you need: heart, truth, and music for the ages."

Fine "debut" by the father of Solas's guitarist, John Doyle

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 08/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fiddler Liz Carroll and Appalachian old-timey revivalist Dirk Powell are among those who join guitarist-producer John Doyle and his father Sean Doyle in this understated set of Irish trad songs. The elder Mr. Doyle has a clear, rich vocal style reminiscent of the old Clancy Brothers sound. The approach is pretty down-to-earth, with soft guitar and low-key vocals the primary touchpoints on all the songs. There's a hint of the sometimes-sugary crossover elements that arise in Doyle the younger's work with Solas, but it's mainly held in check, and this is a pretty straightforward trad album. Some of these songs are well of the beaten track, as well, so for those of a more folkloric bent, this is a real treat."

So many superlatives, so little time

M. Atkins | Arvada, CO USA | 01/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Doyle did the world a great service in cajoling his father into recording this masterpiece. It is a joy to hear from beginning to end. Sean Doyle's voice soothes the cares of the world away from your day. He brings with him a richness and understanding of each song honed by a lifetime of nurturing.

The accompaniment of each song is thoughtfully arranged to support and never detract from Mr. Doyle's effort. The execution of the collection of musicians backing Mr Doyle's vocals is as exquisite as one would expect from these world-class performers.

May we see many more of these projects to follow."

Old-style singing dominates, not the music

John L Murphy | Los Angeles | 03/11/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"John Doyle, noted guitarist formerly of Sólas and partner of fiddler Liz Carroll, produces his father, retired Dublin policeman Seán, who at 58 makes his first recording of traditional Irish songs. The fifteen tracks are mostly in the English-language ballad tradition. Carroll, John Doyle, and a few other veteran musicians provide often muted backing. Seán Doyle, in the manner of a man who has sung decades in pubs rather than on stage, provides direct interpretations of often dramatic narratives. Historical figures such as Henry Joy McCracken, two selections of verse from Yeats, the familiar The Flower of the County Down, and four choices from the street ballad collections of Colm O'Lochlainn typify the musical tradition the elder Doyle prefers. The songs, delivered in a deep voice without ornamentation or affectation, stress emotion that emerges from the words themselves rather than the accompaniment. The emphasis upon content demands the attention of the listener, without distraction, and this format on record reproduces what a careful audience might hear in the pub.

The standout song on this album, however, comes not from the translated ballads into English, but is an English version of An Bunnan Buí, the Yellow Bittern. Here, by subtle contrast, the echoes of the sean-nós Irish-language style create tension and deepen the sorrow of the lyrics. While the more controlled discipline of the ballads reins in the singer, the demands of control that the balladeer exerts on his material drive the feelings into the verses themselves. This sort of vocal performance finds less representation on record than more lush instrumental Irish music. But, for those wishing to hear the singer's interplay with the song, rather than the players playing over the song, Seán Doyle exemplifies the spare, narrower, and subtler nuances of such a venerable style of more declamatory singing for a contemporary audience.

(Note: I do agree with Joe Sixpack's review posted that there's a touch of "sugary" elements, common to many Compass label and what once was Green Linnet productions, that detracts slightly from the overall effect, thus it's a star shorn off. This is, however, less florid than many 90s-00s recordings of Irish-Celtic music, thankfully.)"

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