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KERN

The Left & The Leaving

Philippe Cousin

Let's go back to Ireland and more particularly to County Louth, north of Dublin and more specifically to the town of Drogheda where the three members of the band Kern, a surname that sounds very Breton, are from.

After a critically acclaimed debut album in 2016, they are back with a second opus The Left & The Leaving composed of ten tracks, both traditional and compositions of the band members and more particularly of SJ MacArdle, guitarist and singer of the trio, songwriter who has performed all over the world.

He is joined by Barry Kieran on the fiddle, a specialist in the traditional music of Oriel, an area roughly corresponding to the counties of Louth and Monaghan. And then Brendan McCreanor, a multi-instrumentalist but above all an uilleann pipe player of rare passion and versatility, whose playing is both modern and rooted in tradition.
MacArdle's gravelly voice tells stories of love, longing, war, sorrow and hope. For example, Great Hunger, which recalls the sad years of the Great Famine, or Little Things, which evokes a subject dear to all Irish people, that of emigration. We also find the standard Bonny Light Horseman, tragic Napoleonic ballad against the war, sometimes considered as the anthem of the town of Drogheda. His songwriting is a very accurate reflection of the history and character of Co. Louth.
Not to be overlooked are Barry and Brendan who accompany the songs beautifully. The instrumental sets, jigs, reels, hornpipes, marches allow to appreciate the virtuosity of these two talented musicians.
If I add that bassist Trevor Hutchinson produces the album and that Dónal O'Connor on keyboards and Eamonn Moloney on bodhrán are part of it, you will know everything about this beautiful album.
Exploiting the musical richness of their native Louth, the trio presents us with sometimes heartbreaking songs. A band to follow with attention.

AGACD002-19 - www.kernmusic.com