Following last week’s Chain Gang piece by fellow writer Clint West, I am delighted to be handed the opportunity to create a link to the 2020 Maria Shiel album, ‘FiRE iN the SEA’. Clint wrote about Woody Guthrie’s ‘1913 Massacre’, a tragic account of death and disaster following a rogue call of “fire” in a packed striking miners event.
By stark contrast, ‘FiRE iN the SEA’ is a fabulous festival of an album. In my mind, the way the title is written could be a play on the word ‘frenzy’. However, it is far from manic or crazy. It is, though, exciting and passionate. Shiel maintains earthy themes throughout, referencing the natural world with the most harmonious tones. Her vocal range is like a broad spectrum of colour, and her lyrics are poetically descriptive whilst they explore the deep bond between her native Ireland and America.
If you’ve not already had a listen, now is your chance before next week’s link likely takes you down a different path altogether!
