Craic On

Cavanagh Brothers New CD

The Cavanagh Brothers, perhaps Inishowen’s top band, have just released their latest album which is a mixture of new songs and their classics.

There are songs on here that have won major song contests in Moville, Buncrana and Clonmany.

It will be in shops near you soon.

CraicOn reviews it for you first.

Work Days – a nice catchy melodic song to open with – very easy listening.

He Came Home – very much an American Country ballad. It’s about ‘Grandad’ and how he worked hard in the fields before coming home of an evening ‘when his day was done’. Now ‘memories are all we have’. Again very melodic and catchy.

Does the Rain Need to Pour – This one won the Buncrana Songwriter Contest in 1998 and I can see why. Nice woodwind on it. Again very easy to listen to.

City of Dreams

This one won the Moville Millennium Songwriter contest in 2000 which attracted songwriters from up and down the land, some of them quite well-known nationally. It has a great start which catches your attention right away. It’s about a guy who wants to leave the ‘city of dreams’ and go back home.

A very good song – even first time of hearing. Good instrumentation.

Undone

Another very good song – and perhaps my favourite. It’s a very mellow song. It has very good lyrics too. ‘Don’t let a day go by without something to show’.

Midnight Sky

It’s about a man in a distant land who wants to come home to his sweetheart looking together ‘at the midnight sky’. There’s no place like home. I’m sure there are many young lads from Inishowen who are currently in distant lands to get work who might share the sentiments of this song.

Inishowen

This one, too, is about a guy who has gone abroad and misses the ‘golden sands’ of Inishowen and the ‘girl I left behind’. More good instrumentation and the sound is very good.

Without You

This is a more up tempo song, musically. It’s quite catchy. It would put me in mind of Jerry Lee Lewis.

Nothing at All

This one’s a slower tune but quite catchy ‘It’s a cold night in December as the snow starts to fall’. It paints a pretty picture and once again the instrumentation is good and well sung too. He thinks of people who are out in this cold night in December with nowhere to stay and nothing to eat.

Letting Go

A  guy talking about his loved one. ‘When I was down and feeling blue, I always knew I could turn to you’. Unfortunately she left – but he never will forget and has great memories. A nice little song and well sung and well played.

There’s No Reason

A nice one to finish with. There’s a nice instrumental bit in the middle. ‘There’s no reason for letting go of all the good things that you know’.

It is a very pleasant album and very easy to listen to. There are some top songs on it.

Is this the one that really breaks the Cavanagh Brothers as songwriters and performers nationally?

It has a chance!