If ever an album lived up to its title, it’s this fascinating collection from the former Midnight Runner and English/Irish Soul Brother Number One: it does indeed contain a selection of broadly Irish-flavoured tunes, and a bunch of songs that could also be described as “country soul”.
Always one for the grand gesture – and why not? – Kevin Rowland doesn’t shirk either ambitious arrangements or dramatic vocals. Instrumental opener ‘Women Of Ireland’ kicks things off – the soft, lilting air making for a neat introduction. Then comes the Bee Gees’ early hit ‘To Love Somebody’, and while it’s a decent version of a lovely song, some may find Rowland’s experimental vocal phrasing slightly bewildering. His take on ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes’ isn’t as silky-smooth or decadent as Brian Ferry’s version, but the backing is suitably lush and velvety. ‘Carrickfergus’ – another tune also once recorded by Ferry – is even better, with Rowland scaling the vocal heights magnificently.
A version of Rod Stewart’s ‘You Wear It Well’ sticks faithfully to the original, while another country tune arrives in the surprising shape of the Leanne Rimes hit ‘How Do I Live’. Even more unexpectedly, it is superb. The sentimental standard ‘I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen’ is probably the kind of song Kevin heard sung by homesick relatives while growing up in a London-Irish household, and he does it marvellous justice with a deadly serious and powerful reading.
A touch of Northern Soul comes with the oft-recorded ‘Grazing In The Grass’, while Johnny Cash’s ‘40 Shades of Green’ qualifies as both country and Irish. Phil Coulter’s ode to Derry, ‘The Town I Loved So Well’, is also given the Rowland treatment, while ‘Both Sides Now’ is transformed into a lovely mid-tempo jaunt. Hugely enjoyable.
Rating: 7/10