Gaelic Hit Factory Hits

I'm listening as I type this, to Kansas City Irish Fest performer John Spillane's new CD with Cork poet Louis DePaor, The Gaelic Hit Factory. John did the music and his long time friend, Irish language poet DePaor did the lyrics.

Go buy this record.

John's earlier efforts have occasionally suffered from less than stellar production, overdone arrangements designed to give his work a pop marketability that ended up only masking his art. No such problems here. Gaelic Hit Factory often has a bit of a Daniel Lanois sound to it...if you've heard his production of records like Emmylou Harris's great Wrecking Ball CD from a few year's back you know what I mean. This record is atmospheric...almost operatic in it's feel, but never overwrought or overly dramatic. It's a great soundtrack to a movie you've never seen, but can picture every scene of perfectly. Though most of the lyrics are in Gaeilge, nothing in lost translation whether you speak a word of Irish or not. And though most of the lyrics are in Gaeilge, this isn't a trad record. It's as innovative and inventive as anything out there, while still setting to boil every drop of ancient Celtic blood in your veins. English translations are provided, and DePaor's words are as powerfully written as John's music.

If you were lucky enough to catch John's shows here in September, you heard a couple of the songs featured here; Éist do Bhéal, and Sorcha Rua are two I recall. They were great with John and his solo guitar. They're something better than great on this disc.

Top to bottom, this is one of the best records, Irish or otherwise, that I've heard in years. When John wins his third consecutive Meteor Award in 2007, remember that I predicted it here first.