Album Review: Brian Kennedy, How Can I Keep From Singing

How refreshing it is to come upon a collection of Irish songs that have often been beaten into submission by the rough and the rowdy – and to find them revitalised by a far more delicate approach.

Take a bow, Brian Kennedy. On How Can I Keep From Singing, Thom Moore’s ‘Carolina Rua’ is given a sprightly, soft-rock backing, while ‘The Auld Triangle’ allows the essence of the song into the open air, captivating without its normal guttural take.

The selection is also leavened with less predictable, but no less welcome offerings, including the title track, featuring just piano and Kennedy’s golden voice. Elsewhere, ‘Margaret Barry Broke My Heart’ beautifully evokes the memory of the titular singer, while ‘The Leaving Of Liverpool’ zips along nicely.

Throughout, the production by Billy Farrell and Calum MacColl opens fresh space in the songs, really allowing the vocals to shine. Indeed, what we have here is vintage Brian Kennedy – a man who doesn’t just sing songs, but inhabits them.

8/10