Solas: Shamrock City – review

(THL/Proper)

Solas have become Irish America's most inventive band by mixing their Celtic roots with country and Americana in their sturdy, melodic and thoughtful songs. Their latest album is an emotional and angry concept work chronicling the life of Michael Conway, the great-great-uncle of the band's co-founder, multi-instrumentalist Séamus Egan. Conway left Ireland in 1910 to work in the copper mines of Butte, Montana, and was killed six years later in a confrontation with police, and his story allows for songs about immigration, hard times and escapism in the mining community known as Shamrock City, along with political comment. The emotional ballads Far Americay and Welcome the Unknown are helped by fine instrumental work (especially the fiddle playing of Winifred Horan), and there are appearances from Rhiannon Giddens of Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Scottish folk veteran Dick Gaughan, with the angry Labour Song. Impressive.

Contributor

Robin Denselow

The GuardianTramp

Related Content

Article image
Our Native Daughters: Songs of Our Native Daughters review – devastating beauty from banjo supergroup
Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, Allison Russell and Amythyst Kiah have joined forces to confront the abuse of African American women with authority and pride

Laura Barton

21, Feb, 2019 @12:00 PM

Article image
Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes review
T Bone Burnett assembles Elvis Costello and other worthies for an album that taps into the same deep wells of Americana from which Bob Dylan’s original sprouted, writes Jon Dennis

Jon Dennis

20, Nov, 2014 @10:30 PM

Carolina Chocolate Drops – review
Classy playing and a stompy, no-nonsense approach made this old-timey string band's show a rousing pleasure, writes Robin Denselow

Robin Denselow

24, Jan, 2012 @7:45 PM

Carolina Chocolate Drops: Leaving Eden – review
The Drops serve up another delicious set of string band classics, writes Neil Spencer

Neil Spencer

26, Feb, 2012 @12:05 AM

The Civil Wars: Barton Hollow – review
After great success at home in the US, the debut by high-class Americana/AOR act Civil Wars gets a welcome UK release, writes Michael Hann

Michael Hann

01, Mar, 2012 @9:15 PM

Aoife O'Donovan: Fossils – review

Bluegrass and country singer Aoife O'Donovan sets her sights on the big league with her solo debut, writes Robin Denselow

Robin Denselow

01, Aug, 2013 @9:46 PM

Article image
Old Crow Medicine Show: Remedy review – impressive Americana with raw energy and classy musicianship
The seven-piece North Carolina group's deliver new songs that sound like updated versions of old classics, writes Robin Denselow

Robin Denselow

03, Jul, 2014 @9:00 PM

Article image
Billy Bragg & Joe Henry: Shine a Light review – Essex to Carolina on railroad songs

Dave Simpson

22, Sep, 2016 @9:30 PM

Article image
Mazzy Star: 'We weren't really in the mood to release music'

Dorian Lynskey: After 17 years away, most bands would be happy to make a comeback. Not Mazzy Star. Still, their long-awaited fourth album, Seasons of Your Day, is as captivating as ever

Dorian Lynskey

19, Sep, 2013 @2:42 PM

Carolina Chocolate Drops: Leaving Eden - review
This set is a return to basicswith solid, no-nonsense fiddle work, writes Robin Denselow

Robin Denselow

23, Feb, 2012 @11:50 PM