Davóg Rynne - Talk to Me
There are musicians who maybe living away from their native land for a long time but you can always feel their roots in their work. Irishman Davóg Rynne who has been living in France for many years, is one of them. Born into one of Ireland's most renowned musical families.There was always music in the Rynne house...Planxty made their first album in the basement of their home, Christy Moore, Barry Moore, Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny, Paul Brady, Matt Molloy, The Chieftans etc. were a constant in the stream of people who used to party, play tunes and sing songs in the house. So we could say music is certainly in Davóg's blood.
Talk to me is a truly magical piece of work that combines songs and spoken word. The opening track Faithful Departed is an evocative piece in which Rynne accompanies himself on a bodhrán, a traditional Irish instrument. The tone of the vocal is urgent in this case and only intensifies the overall atmosphere.
They say every Irishman can sing and it's more than clear in Four Green Fields, an acappella track where the listener can enjoy Davóg´s voice in its full range. His vocal is bright as the waters in spring. He presents himself not only as a singer with a memorable voice (some might say an exact tone of voice you imagine for Irish songs) but also as multi-instrumentalist. A man of many talents.
Ha'Penny Bridge is a beautiful poem written by Frank Callery and Rynne's voice is just perfect vehicle for the poem and gives it what it needs. Life. A great tribute to this iconic landmark.
Title track Talk to Me seems more appropriate nowadays than ever. The homelessness is a big issue in Ireland (some of you might remember the Apollo house case) as well as in other parts of the world. The song puts us in the shoes of someone forced to live on the streets and makes us realize the road to such situation is easier than most of us think.
Refugee is another very poignant piece if we look at the current situation of the world. It's almost haunting to hear the words "send them to their fate..."
The album closes with a live version of a song that has become an Irish classic, Brendan Behan's The Old Triangle. The Mallemort singers group joins Davóg Rynne for this. A perfect tune to close a gig.
Hard to believe this is Rynne's debut album. A stunning collection of songs that keeps the Irish storytelling and songwriting tradition alive.