Track Listing

1. High Tide
2. The Winding River Roe
3. Everywhere
4. There Were Roses
5. Where Are You
6. The Gem Of The Roe
7. Bonny Bonny
8. Erin The Green
9. Broken Bridges
10. Falling Like A Star
11. Standing On The Shore
12. The Emigrant's Farewell

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3050 in Music
• Released on: 2003-09-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
After one of the most rapturously received solo debuts by any folk artist, Sweet Liberty comes with a lot of expectations. It's no great surprise then that Cara Dillon and partner/producer Sam Lakeman haven't strayed far from the formula that made Dillon such a success. Although there's less reliance on traditional songs, this new album uses many of the same musicians and sticks to similarly sparse crystalline arrangements that periodically build into crescendos, but neatly avoid bombast by subsiding gracefully just when they should.

A big part of Dillon's appeal lies in her girlish voice (similar to Kate Bush with a Derry brogue) and the fact that she often chooses material that has strong connections with her roots--"The Gem of the Roe" and "The Winding River Roe" being two fine examples. Such songs have usually stood the test of time as a result of distinctive melodies and it takes courage to juxtapose them with original material, as Sweet Liberty does with a fair degree of success. While "Everywhere" and "Broken Bridges" pass this test, it's unlikely that "Where Are You" and "Falling like A Star" will be remembered as classics in years to come. Even so, the latter seems worthy of inclusion for its apparently autobiographical content, which could easily be interpreted as a comment on early days in the failed folk "supergroup" The Equation. The mix of five original compositions (up from only two on Cara Dillon), five arrangements of traditional songs and two covers seems judicious, especially given the fine reading of Tommy Sands' affecting anti-sectarian lament "There Were Roses". But it does beg questions about exactly how hard that "difficult third album" will be. --Jon Lusk

Customer Reviews

Cara Does It Again !
The second solo release from the one-time All-Ireland Singing Champion and former member of Oige. As with Cara's first release, husband Sam and brother-in-law Seth both play on this album, and sister Mary once again provides backing vocals. Recorded in Somerset, Sam is also listed the album's producer.

Cara's first album featured only three songs that weren't traditional tunes. With Sweet Liberty, the mix is slightly different - five of the twelve tracks are traditional, five are written by Cara and Sam, with the remaining two having been written by others. One of these songs is "There Were Roses", written by the legendary Tommy Sands. Cara initially recorded it for use on a BBC TV show called "Billy Connolly's World Tour of England, Ireland and Wales". After the episode featuring the track was broadcast, the message boards on Cara's website were virtually flooded (pun entirely intended !) with demands that this song be released. There's no doubt that it will be one of the highlights of the album for many people - it is superbly delivered.

For me, the highlights of this album are - as with her first release - the traditional songs. "The Winding River Roe", which gives a nod to Cara's hometown of Dungiven, features only Cara's voice and Sam tinkling the keyboards. Cara's delivery is so good on this track, I couldn't help wondering why the song hadn't been recorded unaccompanied. Running it close for my Song of the Album award is "The Emigrant's Farewell". One of the songs on the album to benefit from Brian Finnegan's flute playing, it also sees Liam O'Maonlai joining Mary on backing vocals. Liam, of course, is better known as the lead singer of the Hothouse Flowers.

The album opens with "High Tide", one of the songs Sam and Cara wrote themselves. It and "Broken Bridges" would be the best of the self-penned bunch. "Where Are You ?" nearly took that title - largely a gentle tune until the uileann pipes cut in. However, I just couldn't shake the feeling that it was drifting a little towards the sort of territory associated with the Corrs.

I'd only have one minor criticism of the album - I think it would've benefited from a little more variety in the backing music. While the pipes and flute popped up every once in a while, there still seemed to be an over-reliance on Sam and his keyboards.

A gourmet delight!
We unfortunately live in a world where our music seems to be going the same way as our food. Fast, rehashed, unimaginative and ultimately unfulfilling. But just when I was about to give up and turn my back on McMusic I stumbled by accident, across a review of a Cara Dillon concert. It got me interested enough to visit her web site and listen to the sample tracks. I quickly bought this and her debut album and was lucky enough to see her in concert recently. It was simply a priviledge to hear her live.

I know my clumsy review could never do justice to Cara's exquisite voice and beautiful music but I am doing my best to spread the word. This album could easily come with a money back guarantee, it's that good! Do yourself a big favour and buy it, then tell your friends to buy it.

More variety needed Cara !
This is nowhere near as impressive as her debut.Despite the beautiful voice I find it very hard work to listen to 12 slow songs in a row, and feel that Cara and Sam Lakeman should consider another producer.As stated in most reviews "There were roses" is worth the price of the album on it's own,and "The Gem of the Roe" is another beauty, but there is a distinct lack of variety in the song selection, and the original numbers here are not really up to much.Dillon's voice, which is very easy on the ear, does not have a great range.This is another reason why she needs to take greater care in sourcing new material. I fully agree with the reviewer who bemoaned the uninspired backing.There's over-reliance on sombre piano chords,with no real feel for Irish music.Mandolins, accordions or fiddles would add extra tones, and provide more harmony to her lovely voice. My advice to Cara would be go to some ceilidhs, get a new producer, bring in some Irish trad players, learn some fast songs and make the greatest folk album ever! Dipping in here and there, or using random play is preferable to listening to the album start to finish.
I would heartily recommend her self-titled debut but Karan Casey, and the early Rankin Family CDs are far more enjoyable than this.