Tag Archives: lisa hannigan

MTH-V: Lisa Hannigan Live

Leave a reply

In my MTH-V entry on Damien Rice, I mentioned that Lisa Hannigan, his secret weapon, was arguably my favorite part of his output. After parting ways with Rice in 2007, Ms. Hannigan soon led her own ensemble. Without being hyperbolic, I can safely say that hers is one of my absolute favorite female voices, and has been for years. I’ll reiterate: “equal parts smoky jazz singer and Greek siren.” But her voice isn’t the only thing that shines in her solo work – she’s also a first-rate songwriter and a good instrumentalist.

Her debut album was released via ATO Records. Both Sea Sew (2008) and the more sonically robust  Passenger (2011) are consistently solid. Both of them are albums I can easily put on repeat, neither skipping songs nor growing tired of the material. Whereas Rice’s material is largely glum, Hannigan is often sunny and playful – but not overly so – even with more solemn topics (see “Pistachio”). Similar to Bon Iver, her instrumentation features much variety given the number of musicians. I’m amazed she’s not more well known – her music and voice are infectious, and she and her music are cute as a button. I think that juxtaposition is why I like her so much: her voice has incredible depth and maturity, and yet her songs are youthful and catchy.

I’ve included live performances of two songs from each of her albums: Sea Sew and Passenger, respectively. All are from different dates and locations – both formal and informal – so I’ll embed them in “album order.” (Fans of Damien Rice may recognize bassist Shane Fitzsimons. If you listen to the studio albums, you’ll also recognize cellist Vyvienne Long.) Unlike a few previous MTH-V entries, I opted to not use a Later…with Jools Holland performance. I dare you to not watch/listen to these more than once…

 

“An Ocean And A Rock”

 

“Pistachio”

 

“Paper House”

 

“Passenger” (A charming little street performance in Toronto. Imagine walking past this on your way to work!)

MTH-V: Damien Rice

Leave a reply

From one acoustic aesthetic (last week’s Wynton) to another: Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice.

With Damien, I can recount the first time I heard his music: it was December 2004 and I went with my best friend to see Closer in the theater. About 1.5 seconds into the opening credits’ song “The Blower’s Daughter,” my friend – he’s always listening to not-quite-breaking indie and acoustic artists, and of course already knew Rice’s debut album forwards and backwards – enthusiastically leaned over and shout-whispered, “This is Damien Rice!” Halfway through the first verse I was also sold, and I had that debut album O within a couple days. I obsessively listened to it for months, and still can’t quite listen to it just once – it always requires repeated listening.

Not only is Rice a first-rate songwriter, but the man has some pipes. He’s also effective in his use of instrumentation. The first thing most people notice about his music is the cello’s prominence (in lieu of a lead guitar), which is very nice, but I also enjoy that he only really includes the bass and drums when necessary (both live and in the studio). And, arguably my favorite part, Lisa Hannigan‘s enchanting voice. (She was the secondary/co-lead singer from 2001 to 2007. She now leads her own band and I can’t praise her latest release, 2011’s Passenger, enough.) Lisa’s voice – equal parts smoky jazz singer and Greek siren – is occasionally, and effectively, simply used as another instrument. This is wonderfully demonstrated in “Delicate” (below) – no words, just sound. His voice and hers, both quite versatile, allow his songs to include some wonderful melodies and counter-melodies.

Dynamic control and contrast is another area in which Rice excels. He and the band are only loud when necessary. And even at his quietest, his intensity can match most other amplified acts. I’ve seen Rice (without Hannigan, unfortunately) twice, and both concerts were wonderful. The first show, at which he opened for Fiona Apple in Chicago in July ’06, included a musical moment that perfectly encapsulated this dynamic juxtaposition. During “Delicate,” it was simply Damien and Vyvienne Long (cello) – accompanied by the very occasional cymbal – for the first two verses and choruses. Then, out of nowhere, the drums and bass kicked in for the third chorus and I thought my chest would explode because of the vibrations. It remains one of my favorite concert-going moments.

As mentioned, I absolutely adore O. I really like 2006’s 9, but it started to creep away from the more skeletal O and towards a more full band sound. (2003’s Live From The Union Chapel is a nice companion to O.) It’s now out of print, but there was a limited edition of O that included a DVD of a few videos from Damien’s AOL Sessions performance. I really enjoyed those selections and have posted a couple below.

“Delicate”

“Volcano”

“Delicate” – Live for BBC Four Sessions
(The drum entrance in this one isn’t nearly as drastic as the one I mentioned above, but this clip gives you an idea of his full-band style.)