Track Listing. Track Listing. 1. Go From My Window 2. Aillilliú na Gamhna 3. A Ógánaigh an Chúil Chraobhaigh 4. Boots of Spanish Leather 5. Helen of Kirkonnell 6. Farewell to Tarivathie 7. An Páistín Fionn 8. Suil A Rúin 9. Beauty Deas an Oileáin 10. The Parting Song Click on underscored titles to hear sound samples with Real Player.

We are delighted to announce our release of this recording.

Éilís Kennedy
One Sweet Kiss
EKCD002

We are delighted to announce the release of One Sweet Kiss, the follow up album to her multi award winning release of 2001, Time to Sail.

Recorded in her home county of Kerry, "where music is part of the landscape".
Mixed and mastered in Barry Phillips studio in California. This is a much more tradition-based release than Time to Sail, which featured many covers especially of well known folk titles.
Again Éilís is accompanied by the cream of Irish musicianship.

It would appear that it is destined to win as many plaudits and awards as Time to Sail, already top American music journalist, Bill Margeson, has named Éilís his, vocalist of the year, this augers well for this release.

We at Copperplate are delighted to continue our working relationship with Eilis and proud to have this title on our roster. We will be doing all we can to help this brilliant release achieve its full potential and will be supporting it with a full-scale promotional mail out to media and retail, as well as advertising in music press.

Check out Éilís Kennedy's classic debut album, Time to Sail also available from Copperplate by clicking on this link Time to Sail

Press Reaction

The Living Tradition July/Aug 06
Eilis Kennedy has one of the loveliest voices to recently emerge in Irish singing. Accompanied by a plethora of talented musicians, Kennedy's second album is ten tracks of wonderfully sung and arranged songs.

Focusing heavily on a traditional repertoire, Kennedy sings in both English and Irish, choosing songs that highlight her pure voice.

Beginning with 'Go From My Window', the English songs go on to include the tragic 'Fair Helen of Kirkconnel' and the melancholy 'Farewell to Tarwathie'. But lest you think this album is a depressing collection of ballads. Kennedy spices things up with some Bob Dylan in the form of 'Boots of Spanish Leather', and some fantastic Irish-language tracks including 'Aillillin na Gamhna' and the rollicking 'An Paistin Fionn'. The latter has a great beat and Kennedy's voice lightly trips along the jaunty tune. Ending with The Parting Song', a gentle song of leaving, the album finishes on a beautiful note.

Although the lyrics are included for the Irish songs, they are only included in English, though none of the English songs include lyrics. Aside from this, the only low point of the album is the inclusion of the frequently recorded 'Suil a Ruin'. There is nothing wrong with Kennedy's interpretation, but at the same time, there is nothing here that hasn't been done before. Her versions of less well-known songs are much more interesting to listen to.

Eilis Kennedy has a very beautiful voice. Her singing is evocative and the album is a wonderfully cohesive collection of songs.

Eilis Kennedy's 'One Sweet Kiss' is a fantastic find and is very much recommended. Jean Price

Songlines June 2006 ***

Scots and Irish song, and a pair of Bob Dylan's boots

This album has a quiet, almost plaintive, feel about it, one rooted firmly in the Irish song tradition.

At its heart are four Irish-language songs, each exquisitely performed by Eilis Kennedy. One of the most memorable is 'Beauty Deas an Oileain'. So often in Celtic music, songs commemorating boatmanship have a special poignancy and Kennedy's vocals here are complemented superbly by viola, guitar and cello.

Other songs on the album allow individual instruments to stand out, including Jon Sanders' harmonium, Tim Edey's guitar, Barry Phillips's cello and Virginia McKee's clarinet. Kennedy also plays whistle on one track and flute on another, revealing considerable musical versatility.

The least characteristic number is 'Aililiu na Gamhna', which has a more contemporary ambience than the rest of the album - almost jazz at times.
More upbeat songs like this, pushing at the boundaries of the tradition, would have been welcome.

But there is no doubting the sheer quality of Kennedy's voice throughout the more conventional material. She also covers English and Scottish folk songs - 'Go from my Window' and 'Helen of Kirkonnell' respectively - as well as a Scottish 19th century song, 'Farewell to Tarwathie', poignantly expressing attachment to home. Thrown in unexpectedly is Bob Dylan's 'Boots of Spanish Leather', which suits Kennedy's voice and on which Edey demonstrates why he is one of Ireland's finest musicians.

Although this is an album unlikely to cause many surprises, it successfully features high quality Irish traditional singing. Andy Jurgis

Taplas The Welsh Folk MAGAZINE April/May
Eilis Kennedy, from Dingle, Co. Kerry, on the other hand, continues to quietly impress with her second album, One Street Kiss. Her singing is less dramatic and more understated, but that seems to allow for much more subtlety, nuance and variety. Nor is this straight-down-trie-line traditional: The swing setting of Aillilliu na Gambna and An Paistin Fionn really impresses and there's a pleasing cover of Dylan's Spanish Boots of Spanish Leather.

But she really excels on the Irish language-songs, like A Óganaigh an Chuil Chraobhaigh and the beautiful Beauty Deas an Oileain.

Guest musicians include Tommy O'Sullivan (guitar), Paddy Keenan (pipes), Tim Edey (accordion and guitar), Maire Breatnach (viola) and Eoin Duigan (low whistle); but it's Eilis's fine singing that holds centre stage. Nick Passmore

www.netrhythms.com
This fine Kerry singer proved her credentials impeccably with her astonishingly good debut CD Time To Sail around four years ago, and here's its followup.

In terms of material, it's rather more traditionally-inclined than that debut. This aspect, coupled with the well-known nature of some of the song choices, may be why I find this album marginally less compelling overall (but only just!) than Time To Sail, but in terms of standard of performance, singing and musicianship One Sweet Kiss is every bit the equal of its predecessor.

Again I noted Éilís's wonderful precision of diction and attack, her enticing communicative skill and her delicious lightness of touch in conveying the necessary expressive elements of each song she tackles. Her delivery is accessible and tasteful without falling in to the trap of being over-sweet in the matter of the all-too-important kiss - if you get my drift!

My favourite tracks on this new album tend to be those sung in Gaelic; some, like Aillilliú Na Gamhna (a version of a rural work-song) and An Páistín Fionn (what a gorgeous melody!) are spiced up with syncopated, very gently swinging jazzy treatments, but on the dreamy love-song A Ógánaigh An Chúil Chraobhaigh Éilís' sean-nos stylings are blessed with a spare accompaniment of just harmonium and violin. Having said that, the telling power and control of Éilís's vocal range is demonstrated especially persuasively on Helen Of Kirkonnell, and her more delicate shades of expression come into play when relating the tale of Dylan's Boots Of Spanish Leather. Finally, Éilís's expansion of John Goodenough's Parting Song provides an apt closer to the album.

In only briefly alluding to the instrumental accompaniments earlier in this review, I don't feel I've done them justice, for their virtue lies in their sparse clarity; all credit to Máire Breatnach, Barry Phillips, Bruce Abraham and William Coulter (all re-engaged from Éilís's debut CD), in addition to a small gallery of other instrumentalists including Jon Sanders, Tim Edey and Paddy Keenan. These musicians complement Éilís's beautiful singing to perfection, together creating another record that (if there's any justice) will be destined to win numerous awards. David Kidman


www.liveIreland.com Awards "The Livvies"Female Vocalist of the Year--Eilis Kennedy
This Dingle, Co. Kerry singer has won this Award from us before. Small wonder. Her brand, brand new album made it to our desk just in time for this year's Awards. The new one is entitled, One Sweet Kiss. What a great title, because that is what the album is itself. A full, modern take on the tradition, at the same time featuring some gorgeous sean nos singing. There is no better singer in the tradition. Nor a nicer one. Eilis' voice is a universal gift, accessible to all. There are great songs here, many with a sea flavor, as to be expected from Dingle. Boat races, whaling, broken hearts, found loves----epochs we tells 'ya! Such wonderful side musicians are here, too. Who wouldn't want to be asked to play on the album? Eilis is just so special on so many levels. We have often remarked here about how hard it is to put into words what the ear hears. In the case of Eilis Kennedy, just close your eyes, open your heart , and think of the perfect voice for the music. There she is. Bill Margeson

Return to home page

Click on spinning disc for purchase details

Please visit our website sponsor:

(c) 2004 Copyright CopperPlate Distribution