Tales of Silversleeve

A number of important Irish female artists have come to prominence in recent years, among them Laura Izibor, Julie Feeney and Lisa Hannigan. The highest-charting new entry, however, comes from Cathy Davey, the Dublin songstress whose bewitching PJ Harvey-meets-Bjork style sonic artistry ranks her among Ireland’s leading alternative music voices. Finished with the help of Sneaker Pimps co-founder Liam Howe, Tales Of Silversleeve is a wonderfully original and heady brew. The album’s storybook atmospherics were hinted at on the inspired cover – Davey standing in a snow-covered rural landscape – but the delights within were even greater as Davey superbly forged her own rock’n’roll style, with the superb ‘Reuben’ and the funky ‘Moving’ among the highlights.

No 19 in 2009, as voted for by over 200 Irish musicians.