The Irish Revolution
ARC, 2023
8/10
Listen to The Irish Revolution
The esteemed Irish composer and founding member of Clannad, Pól Brennan, fleshed out these songs as an RTÉ documentary series of the same name, where themes of conflict, suffering, and sadness populate the aptly titled listen.
The eloquent strings of “Réabhóid” opens the listen with an ominous and tense backdrop, before “The Revolt” follows with thumping drums and a very cinematic mood that’s quite mesmerizing.
Further along, the soft keys and firm drums of “IRA Goes To War” allows the strings to make for a more dense climate, while “A General Election” is full of emotive string manipulation and dreamy winds that complement the marching band style drumming of the stirring album highlight.
Close to the end, the poetic flutes of “Time To Call A Halt” cultivates a more melodic landscape, and “Atlas Of The Revolution” exits with a lush, chamber appeal that illustrates much diversity from Brennan’s creative mind.
A listen that soundtracks the Irish revolutionary period and its War of Independence, the music here is often as turbulent as the events they surround, and the symphonic strings and cultured bouts certainly illuminate the darkness with much intrigue.
Travels well with: Tri Nguyen- Duos-Alone; Joann Falletta- Elfman-Hailstork Concertos