Dan McCabe – Back To Life (2024)
William Shakespeare once said “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them…” – Dan McCabe defies the bard tying all three together. Raised in a family of musicians, McCabe has music running deep in his veins beginning early on with live music. As the years passed, the Irish artist grew from strength to strength and quickly found his spot as a notable singer-songwriter. This is my introduction to McCabe, but he already has an international following featuring on television, streaming sites, playlists, music publications, and radio stations. The latest addition to his discography is the album, Back To Life.
Entwining the soothing smoothness of modern-day folk with mystical traditional Irish ballads, Dan McCabe captures Ireland at its core with a kick of contemporary edginess. Following his well-received album Genesis, Vol. 2, Back To Life is a journey through some of Ireland’s most beloved ballads in a bold, rich, eclectic Dan McCabe style.
Joined by Conal Early (keyboards), Kyle Farrell (guitars), Alan Doherty (whistles), Colin Farrell (fiddle), James Blennerhassett (bass) and Martin Ditcham (percussion), Back To Life boasts an impressive array of artists set to take listeners on a musical journey. Produced by Bill Shanley with arrangement by Gavin Murphy, the album presents elegant sophistication in its production; however, there is raw sentimentality and wistful emotion layered across the cinematic album.
Opening with his take on Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’m On Fire’, we’re introduced to McCabe through an acoustic melody. Binding the soothing flow of the fiddle, piano, percussion and guitar, ‘I’m On Fire’ leans toward heartfelt folk; but, McCabe’s gritty vocals… no, not gritty, more gruff vocals bring the Springsteen edge to a folk-driven cover.
Moving on, McCabe wraps you in a warm sonic blanket of comfort with ‘Caledonia’. Soft, soothing, tranquil and charming, we’ve found the happy place of Back To Life. McCabe’s Irish accent makes an appearance with a soft lilt lifting your spirits, only for them to be dashed with ‘Ride On’. Really diving into traditional Irish folk ballads, ‘Ride On’ brims with poignant melancholy flecked with heart-breaking vulnerability in McCabe’s vocals. This heart-breaking poignancy continues in songs like ‘The Island’, ‘Come My Little Son’ and ‘Nancy Spain’. Yet, none are as stoically tragic in their sound as ‘Ride On’.
A rollercoaster of sound, Back To Life heads from fragile despair in ‘Nancy Spain’ and ‘The Fields of Athenry’ to light-hearted joviality in ‘Beeswing’ – all offering that uniquely Irish combination of fiddles, guitar, piano and percussion with Celtic charm. For me, however, it is ‘The Fields of Athenry’ and ‘Grace’ that tackle true Irish heritage in a toe-tapping but simultaneously tear-jerking sweep of sound.
Overall, each track from Back To Life has an enigmatic melody, but it is the emotional lyricism and McCabe’s tender vocals that give it extra oomph. Exploring love, loss, resilience, tragedy and strength, McCabe delicately dips into humanity with intricate precision. The thing is, just as each arrangement has clarity in its composition, that aforementioned rawness maintains the iconic mysticism of the Emerald Isle. All in all, I totally adore it and cannot wait for more from Dan McCabe.
Find out more about Dan McCabe on his Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
Discover more folk music on The Other Side Reviews Folk playlist:
