The best musicians tend to step outside the box to produce something that sounds both fresh and familiar at the same time. It really is a remarkable talent – and it’s one that we can see from The Celtic Social Club.
The band’s sound is a breath of fresh air and boasts plenty of originality. Yet at the same time, it also conjures up feelings that are strangely recognisable. It’s like hearing your favourite story told in an entirely new way.
How can this be exactly? Well, just listen to the group’s album From Babylon to Avalon. The record – which is out now after being re-packaged – features 14 tracks. These tracks all draw upon a broad richness of cultures, with melodies stemming from Brittany, Ireland, Scotland and Asturias.
It’s fair to say that the record is full of international flavour and celebrates the past and present sounds of Europe. This is no surprise when you look at the group’s current line-up, including the instruments they play and the individuality they bring to the band.
Take, for instance, lead vocalist Dan Donnelly. He’s originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland and is well skilled in playing different instruments. While in this venture he uses guitar, throughout his career he’s also been known to play the mandolin and the didgeridoo.
Meanwhile, the rest of the band plays a wide variety of instruments on the album From Babylon to Avalon. You have Ronan Le Bars on the uilleann pipe and whistles, Manu Masko on the drums and keyboard, Pierre Stephan on the fiddle, Goulven Hamel on the guitar, banjo and mandolin, Mathieu Pequeriau on the harmonica and washboard, and Richard Puaud on the bass.
Is it any wonder that the band sounds so fresh when there are so many different instruments in the mix?
It’s not, however, just these array of tools that makes the group a musical tour de force. While these instruments do play a part in keeping the tunes feeling upbeat and full of life, there’s actually something distinctly likeable about the vocals and the lyrics too.
Just look at the single Black Lives. It’s essentially an ode to all things black, with lyrics such as ‘black is there waiting when we close our eyes, black holds the stars in the cold winter skies’. The song is almost four minutes in length, first beginning with a really enchanting melody that lasts for almost 60 seconds.
The tempo then changes just before the one-minute mark, in a switch that exhibits the group’s ability to take you on a adventure through different sounds and almost different genres in just one track. It makes for a very exciting journey – one that many people will surely be glad to take.
It’s an all-round positive track. The first verse begins: “black can be beautiful and black can be peaceful’. It’s full of clever rhymes and evokes colourful images, as well as being the type of track that you can read into and pull out meaning if you’re the type of person who likes to analyse lyrics and discover hidden messages.
As mentioned, there are 14 tracks featured on From Babylon to Avalon. This includes two live tracks that were performed at the festival Beautiful Days. Other songs on the record include Sunshine, Dead End and I’m Free.
Arguably the real stand out track is Pauper’s Funeral. This song might already be well-known to fans, as well as those who might have heard The Celtic Social Club without even realising it. Having been uploaded onto YouTube in June, it’s the band’s most streamed song on the site. The music video currently boasts over 100,000 views and there are streams of comments praising it for being ‘brilliant’, ‘catchy’ and ‘marvellous’.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that this song is going to be all doom and gloom just because of its title. While it does deal with themes of death and poverty, it’s remarkably upbeat and full of energy. The lyrics begin: “If I die, whenever I die, a pauper’s grave I’ll surely lie.” It’s fast-paced and actually wouldn’t be too out of place on certain dance floors.
This song is a great example of the band’s ability to resonate with different cultures. You only have to look at the comments on this video to see that many of them are in French. This actually shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, especially when you consider the group’s origins.
There weren’t actually concrete plans for The Celtic Social Club to be a long-term deal, but this all changed when they performed in front of thousands at Vieilles Charrues, a festival held in Brittany, France. This was back in July 2014 and the group is still riding high and going from strength to strength.
The band weren’t strangers to the stage by 2015. In fact, they’d been on a multi-date tour and performed live in places such as France, Germany, Switzerland and New York. That was five years ago now and the group has since evolved and continued to present their music in new ways. They have performed at numerous festivals and released a total of three albums, including their second record New Kind of Freedom.
Like many musicians, there have been unforeseen obstacles throughout 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has made touring difficult, especially on an international level. For instance, The Celtic Social Club had actually planned to perform in Manchester, England in November.
In the meantime, fans should thankfully have enough to sink their teeth into as they visit – or re-visit in some cases – From Babylon to Avalon. The record’s fast pace and uplifting tempo will have always been a big draw, but now there could be an even greater attraction: the feelings of togetherness it brings.
After all, this is a year where most have been limited in leaving the house and exploring other countries – but listening to From Babylon to Avalon is a more than satisfactory way of enjoying the rich cultures of the world from your own home.