Having travelled throughout France in the past year, Ruth Dillon has been boosting her profile, performing with Irish musicians in what was billed a “Celtic show”. Being out of your context like that can reinforce the trappings and characteristics of a musical legacy you mightn’t otherwise adhere to so religiously, because it frankly isn’t terribly interesting in its country of origin. We speak, of course, of the nefarious Woman’s Heart genre, a self-reflexive entity unto itself.
Woken, the Galway-based singer’s second album, does unfortunately wander into watery, homogenised Gaelic territory in offerings like ‘The Right Rain’, while the lachrymal melody of ‘Think Before You Wish’ distracts from the song’s lyrical wisdom and darkly interesting themes.
Credibility though, is to be found with the sprawling and interesting ‘Like It Or Not’, and in the gentle prettiness of ‘Your Kryptonite’.
The musicianship of Woken cannot be faulted, and the lack of tempo-changes and melody breaks is borne up by Dillon’s beautiful voice, notable for her apprenticeship with Dolores Keane, whose influence asserts itself throughout.
Another torch-song troubadour she ain’t, but nor is she another of those demented glossy pop squeaks singing ‘80s covers, so thank God for small mercies.