Music for Your Soul
It’s politics-free day here at The Show… because man or woman or none of the above cannot live by conflict alone. As my regular readers know, I’m a big music enthusiast — in fact, the sweet sound keeps me going through it all. I particularly love Celtic music and classic R&B and soul — like Aretha, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder etc. I enjoy some neo-soul too, like Dennis Lloyd’s “The Way.” And I’m always searching for new Irish music that infuses new life into that ancient wine jug. And so, my friends, I’m here to sing the praises of the new album by Northern Ireland’s Joshua Burnside, who pairs beautifully on his latest outing with Laura Quirke.
Listen to this ballad, “Far Away the Hills Are Green,” a simple tune with their voices accompanied only by banjo and fiddle. It gets more haunting with each listen. I told my son Nat that I want it played at my funeral. Because that’s the sentimental way that Irishmen like me think.
Politics will break your heart. But music gives you reason to live. It connects us to something ineffable deep inside us. It’s how I get in touch with myself, with all of humanity — and with the other side. (And, btw, rest in cool jazz heaven, Charlie Watts.)
Here’s some additional Joshua Burnside songs for your playlist, and a couple of other new masters of the Celtic sound for a bonus:
“Rana the Fortunate” — also from Half-light, the new EP by Burnside & Quirke
“A Man of High Renown”
“Tunnels, Pt. 2”
“Idle Mind” Anna Mieke
“The Place I Left Behind” The Deep Dark Woods
“Back Alley Blues” Ditto
Quirke & Burnside