Evening of Light » eddie keenan

Retrospective: The Driftwood Manor, three 2010 releases

admin — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:15:32 +0000

With five releases in two years to their name, and counting, The Driftwood Manor are one of Ireland’s most prolific artists in the experimental folk scene. The band is centered around singer, songwriter, and guitarist Eddie Keenan, who enlists a cast of supporting musicians that varies with each release. The first two releases, A Gathering and Every Light Goes Out Eventually, were covered separately on Evening of Light, but 2010′s releases have followed each other so quickly that a one-piece feature might suit these albums just as well as three separate reviews.

The crucial question when a band puts out three releases in one year is whether it’s all any good. Thankfully, the answer so far for The Driftwood Manor is a simple resounding yes. Judging from the nearly twenty tracks on these offerings, the well of songs has not run dry in the least, and I expect we can look forward to more interesting material in the near future.

As a brief introduction, let me return to A Gathering, the first album, which held nine tracks clocking in at about 30 minutes. That album had a slightly poppy folk sound, some rock influences, but also an experimental touch to it and a hefty dose of melancholy, on the whole quite accessible as a modern folk album. The second release, though, 2009′s EP Every Light Goes Out Eventually, was a profoundly sad duo of long mantra-like soundscapes, meditating on death and loss, capped by the brief and beautiful vocal ending of “Before it Is Time”. With this release, which came as a pleasant surprise to me, Keenan and his band showed that they had at least one leg firmly rooted in the experimental music world.

The Same Figure, Leaving

This delightful diversity continues with this year’s albums, starting with the second full-length The Same Figure, Leaving, released in handmade packaging on French label Ruralfaune. The album marks a return to the folk songs of the first one, though with slightly less rock/pop leanings. A bit of an Americana sound is thrown into the mix as well, something which suits the general sound of the band admirably. The focus is once more of Keenan’s voice and guitar, with excellent support by Neil Fitzgibbon on fiddle and Bean Dolan on double bass, among others. “A Coat Against the Winter”, the opener, is a wonderful example of the band’s introspective and melancholic sound and lyrical leanings:

“We can have another whiskey / Before we step into the outside / As a coat against the winter / Like a word against the silence”

Another highlight is the swinging mandolin-based “The Lasting Final Hurt”, featuring perfect support work from Fitzgibbon’s fiddle and Audrey Ryan on backing vocals. A final mention goes to the closing and title track, a wonderful ode to calm acceptance, where most if not all of the players on this album come together, particularly in the layered choruses of Keenan, Anne Marie Hynes, and for this one also Dave Colohan.

Holy Ghost

We move on to Holy Ghost, the second EP, released as part of the 3″ series by Rusted Rail. This time around we get six tracks, pretty much in the same style as The Same Figure, Leaving, but all with a power of their own. Therein lies the strength of Keenan’s songwriting: the ability to come up with quite a number of songs in a coherent style that manage to be good enough in their own right to command the listener’s attention. Particular attention must go to the superb “Bury Me Alive”, a song with a strong dose of ballad and spiritual influence, sounding like it could come straight from some countryside church in the American (or Irish?) outback. But really, all the other stracks are simply strong as well; Holy Ghost is solid until the end.

Found Photographs of Ancestors

The final release is the EP Found Photographs of Ancestors, released in August 2010 by Apollolaan Recordings. This handmade affair, limited to 50 copies, is a sequel to Every Light Goes Out Eventually, again combining drones, folk and some eastern musical influences. Keenan works with Colohan as a duo here, both very skilled by now in creating captivating experimental soundscapes. Apparently, these EPs are going to form a trilogy, with the third instalment still upcoming. I must say I found the first part just a tad more involving than this one, but this is still a fine piece of folky drone, and I eagerly await the final part of the trilogy.

So far, 2010 has brought us three fine releases from this Irish group, so I sincerely recommend them for anyone who is interested in alternative and experimental folk. Some of these might be sold out by now, as they’ve appeared in limited editions, but they might be available through mailorders still.

Review: The Driftwood Manor – Every Light Goes Out Eventually (2009)

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:48:18 +0000

artist: The Driftwood Manor
release: Every Light Goes Out Eventually
format: CDr
year of release: 2009
label: Slow Loris
duration: 27:34

detailed info: discogs.com

After a very successful debut (mini-)album, A Gathering, in 2008, The Driftwood Manor bridge the gap to the next one with an EP release on Irish d.i.y. label Slow Loris. Every Light Goes Out Eventually is again a wonderful piece, though different from its predecessor, this time around with a focus on a meditative minimalism combining folk and drones.

“The May Floods Came” opens this EP with layered mantra-like chanting, backed by oriental drones on tampura and guitar chords. About halfway, a short piece of lyrics is delivered by Eddie Keenan, the man behind the project, after which the track returns to its basic mode. Of a similar nature is the central title track, which consists of a profoundly melancholic piano line of harmonic intervals, overlaying another subtle drone. Faint field recordings are heard here and there, as well as a deeper, darker drone. The release ends with a short coda, the folk-oriented “Before it Is Time”. It’s a beautiful brief piece for vocals and guitar, ending in a series of haunting chords for oriental strings.

And so, this record, centered around the theme of death and loos, comes to an untimely end itself. One wishes this gem, which reminds me of Current 93‘s Sleep Has His House in its melancholic minimalism, would have lasted longer. Thankfully, unlike people, CD players are equipped with reset buttons…

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

1. The May Floods Came (12:58)
2. Every Light Goes Out Eventually (11:11)
3. Before It Is Time (3:25)

New Agitated Radio Pilot EP on Rusted Rail

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:30:58 +0000

Irish label Rusted Rail have released a new Agitated Radio Pilot EP, entitled A Field Day.

It contains six tracks in a style that reminds me a bit of Dave’s earlier Australia-inspired works, with a bit of Holt thrown in as well. Summery feelings, a bit of the usual melancholia, and a nice instrumentation featuring, among others, Bean Dolan and Eddie Keenan of Resurrection Fern and The Driftwood Manor, respectively.

Check out the samples on the Rusted Rail page, and be sure to pick this one up if you enjoy Dave’s works.

On a side note, it’s interesting that this release shows such a different side of Agitated Radio Pilot than the EP which we hope to put out on Evening of Light ourselves somewhere during the coming winter. You might be in for a surprise!

Review: The Driftwood Manor – A Gathering (2008)

admin — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:00:20 +0000

artist: The Driftwood Manor
release: A Gathering
format: CD-R
year of release: 2008
label: Self-released
duration: 29:58

detailed info: discogs.com.

The Driftwood Manor is a new band based in Ballymahon, Ireland that plays a kind of acoustic alternative rock, but with a strong dose of folk thrown in, both free and traditional. Little surprise if you look at the lineup, which apart from main songwriter and vocalist Eddie Keenan includes David Colohan (Agitated Radio Pilot, United Bible Studies, etc.) and Bean Dolan (Resurrection Fern), but also traditional fiddler Neil Fitzgibbon, among others. This short debut album is self-released on pro CDr, and actually of a very high quality.

The album starts off with an instrumental, which has a very dronish buildup and melancholic tinge. This shifts, however, to the second one – “To The Waves” – which is uptempo and combines a longing neofolk track (in the broad sense) with some traditional fiddling. There is much variety, though, as the three middle tracks illustrate. “Pyre” is a calm alternative folk ballad with female second vocals and tracks 5 and 6 show a relaxed, though still melancholic, singer/songwriter style. The final tracks contain a similar mixture of styles, from the uptempo “The Sense Of An Ending” – with more female vocals and also a trumpet – to the serenity of “Trial By Fire”. The sound is also quite enjoyable: very crisp, yet organic and idiosyncratic, particularly the drums and fiddle.

While I wouldn’t say this is a very innovative album, I’ve been playing it very often lately, as there is simply a lot of good songwriting in here. Another piece of evidence that Ireland is a nation of true artistry in the realm of popular music. This is a highly recommended and promising debut for any lover of alternative folk.

Reviewed by O.S.

Tracklist:

1. From Here The Town Looks Like Nearby Stars (4:00)
2. To The Waves (3:22)
3. The Pull (2:09)
4. Pyre (4:15)
5. Thank You, Dear Aggressor (3:16)
6. I Will Wait For You (4:17)
7. The Sense Of An Ending (2:43)
8. Trial By Fire (2:57)
9. Voices In The Corridor (2:59)