Christy Moore www.christymoore.com
 

Favourite Dozen : 2005

This is not a rating, just a radio host's joy expressing itself.
The following 12 recordings have been merciful, inspiring,
and have stayed close to my stereo since the day they first
arrived in my home. If you're looking for something new to
listen to, or to give as a gift to a friend or loved one, I am
confident these will not disappoint.

Song Of The Traveling Daughter : Abigail Washburn

These simple echoes feel as though they passed from
China through Harry Smith's Anthology of American
Folk Music and then through the medium of Abigail
Washburn's body, voice and banjo. Mesmerizing.

Mercy : Sam Baker

From a bombed-out train in Peru to piecing his life
and body back together in Texas, Baker has made a
defining record album of uncommon grace and sharp
poetic eye. The title redefines the word.

Fair & Square : John Prine

Prine survived throat cancer and a change to his voice
to write and record one of the finest records of his
career. He's one of a kind. There is a glowing maturity
here, humour and depth.

Burning Times : Christy Moore

Though it's a record of covers, Christy's new one may
be the most durable artistic statement of the year.
A timely, resonant and biting collection of songs by
a master of the interpreter's art. Ireland's finest.

Humming By The Flowered Vine : Laura Cantrell

She has her own radio show, spinning old-timey tunes
gathered from secondhand bins, yard sales and such.
Until recently Cantrell held a job on Wall Street. With
her third release, she's given up the day job. This is
so lovely, in its singing and its country-flavoured soul.
One of those albums that sounds like home.

Prairie Wind : Neil Young

Deeper into his Canadian roots here than ever before,
Neil appears to re-examine the choice between
burning out and fading away, and in the end chooses
neither. An acoustic feel throughout, this record is
Neil being Neil again, as if for the first time.

American Jukebox Fables : Ellis Paul

This is Bostonian Ellis Paul's most fully-realized set
to date. Listen to Jukebox On My Grave and Clarity,
and shake your head. A unique singing voice, pure
Americana, referencing much of what is great about
the cultural roots (and routes) of his country.

Redbird : Redbird

Released in the springtime, Redbird is Peter Mulvey,
Kris Delmhorst, and Jeffrey Foucault. The three got
to playing together by chance, in a hotel room across
the sea. The record was made with a single microphone
in a living room, and is, as one reviewer said, "a love
letter to the body of American song."

Hands Across The Water : Various Artists

Due out December 20th, my advance copy has proved
constant inspiration since it landed in my possession.
Fine artists, great songs, sensitive playing. Each song
is a trans-Atlantic collaboration. All proceeds from the
album go to support children orphaned by the tsunami
that hit southeast Asia on December 26th, 2004.

The Outsider : Rodney Crowell

Crowell appears at times to be cramming more words
per line than ever before, and it's because he's got more
to say. His heart keeps getting bigger. His singing and
music continue to be appealing. A fine record, one that
keeps revealing itself with further listening.

Get Myself Together : Danny Barnes

I cannot imagine living without this guy's manic genius.
Barnes makes me bust out laughing, with the blessing
of all my other feelings. Former leader of the Bad Livers,
Barnes lives in Seattle now and travels the world with
a banjo on his knee. Trip along with him a while.

Hotwalker : Tom Russell

This one makes the list for its reach more than its grasp.
It's a movie more than an album of songs, a sweeping
travelogue through the Beat and Folk Scare eras, on
across the dust bowl to California bars and blacktop hops.
The wheels of the carnival wagon may wobble at times,
but they never quite come off. A record brimming with
carnies, poets, legends and American piss and vinegar.

DL

Welcome back, Vashti Bunyan