Review: The High Kings, Memory Lane

This morning, as an early birthday present to myself, I downloaded The High Kings' new CD, Memory Lane, which I've been wanting for months. I must say, it was an excellent purchase. Overall, it has a much more traditional Irish feel than their first CD, which was produced by the same man who put together the group Celtic Woman, David Downes. The album has some really fantastic tracks, some of which I'll talk about individually.

Step It Out Mary

I had never heard this song, so I looked it up; the chorus is actually the words to a children's skipping game, which was incorporated into a song by a folk songwriter in the 20th century. It's a sad story, but you can definitely hear the playfulness of the skipping game in the beat of the song.

The Fields of Athenry

This rendition of Pete St. John's ballad about the Potato Famine brought tears to my eyes; the simplicity of the guitar and the lovely harmonies did a beautiful job of conveying all the tragic emotion of this song.

Red is the Rose

This song is very similar to the Scottish song "Loch Lomond," all about lovers making promises. Beautiful, melancholy, very Irish.

Star of the County Down

This is the first song that I heard because iTunes shuffled the tracks; I was listening to the album on my way into work this morning and about 10 seconds into the song I said out loud "I LOVE this album!" Listening to the tracks in order wouldn't have changed my mind, but this was definitely a good hook for the rest of the album.

The Green Fields of France

Another tragic 20th century song, this one again receives a gentle but mournful treatment with wonderful harmonies and background guitar.

There are 14 tracks in all, all of them well done. Many of them are sad, but as G.K. Chesterton said:

The great Gaels of Ireland

Are the men that God made mad.

For all their wars are merry

And all their songs are sad.