Album Review: Aisling Urwin, The Other Place

Aisling Urwin is a songwriter/harpist from Kenmare, and her second album takes us as far away from the old school version of harpists as you might want. Her inventive mix of harping skills and ethereal vocals – as well as the measured use of sounds from nature and household objects – are all wrapped in the warm embrace of synthesised instruments.

‘Nocturne’ comes with Urwin’s haunting vocal intro over a primal sonic backdrop, which makes the world stand still for a few precious minutes. ‘Wild’ has water lapping and Enya-like harmonies, and a subtle build-up to a dance section. The tentative ‘The Neck Of The Woods’ takes a while to achieve lift-off, before we get to an unsettling place not to be entered lightly.

Elsewhere, ‘The Salt Of The Earth’ is enlivened with skitterish percussion, chimes and brass, while hypnotic harp underpins Urwin’s weightless voice on ‘Growing Growing Gone’.

The Other Place is a remarkably forward-looking album – a cinematic soundtrack to which you can bring your own visuals. Urwin uses her songs to release the harp from its traditional ties, while still leaving it umbilically anchored to the tradition. It all makes for wonderful listening.

8.5/10