Today marks the release of Eternity Near, the new album from Ulster trio TRÚ who also kick off their album tour today (see dates below). It follows their 2021 debut, No Fixed Abode, which, as well as being a Folk Radio Featured Album of the Month and one of our Best Albums of 2021, was also nominated for Best Album at Northern Ireland Music Prize, ranked in MOJO’s Top 10 Folk Albums of the year, and was playlisted on BBC Introducing.
In April, we premiered their stunning video for the album’s opening track, Long Black Veil; I noted then that I’d not heard a more beautiful and moving interpretation of the song. Today, we follow suit with another touching song and video for Is fada liom uaim í, which they take to another level.
The band tell us below that they learned the song from Kevin Burke and Micheál Ó Domhnaill’s 1982 Portland album. Micheál was one of the founding members of the legendary traditional Irish group, The Bothy Band. Founded in 1974 (the same year that Micheál released the recently reissued ‘Celtic Folkweave‘ with Mick Hanly), Kevin joined the band two years later, replacing Paddy Glackin on fiddle. They disbanded in 1979, not before releasing their excellent live album After Hours.
Talking about the song, TRÚ tell us:
In 1982, Kevin Burke and Micheál Ó Domhnaill released a heartbreaking version of the traditional song, “Is fada liom uaim í”.
They captured the earth-shattering nostalgia of lost love with a minimalist and tender arrangement for guitar, fiddle and voice.
But it is the poetry that hits the hardest. The woman in the song may be a spéirbhean or a demon, but she curses him either way. The poet hears the cuckoo’s call (code for depression), and his loneliness surrounds him as he is driven to the drink.
Even the grammar of the song’s title shows the profound sentiment in this old song; it does not translate directly into English. Its meaning exists only in the original language, so we have to make do with a rough imitation.
Although the song’s author and date is unknown, it is considered an Ulster song (Donegal, specifically) and is based on the singing of Néilí Ní Dhomnaill in the early 20th century.
100 years later, TRÚ’s version was recorded whilst two of the band members were going through heartbreak.
George Hutton made the video, which features TRÚ band member Dónal Kearney.
TRÚ bring a subtle yet contemporary twist to their music – their dreamlike harmonies take you on a 70s folk trip, calling to mind some of the most influential names in the cutting-edge traditional Irish music of that time, especially Clannad and Micheál Ó Domhnaill and Mick Hanly mentioned above (both circa 1974). Their musical arrangements are always in service to the song, and, as they demonstrated on their debut with Newry Boat Song, they know how to deliver a mournful, heartbreaking lament. As I mentioned earlier, with Is Fada Liom Uaim Í, they take that to another level…the accompanying film, with its beautifully graded timeless-looking landscape shots, adds to that weight and feel of the song – it’s totally stunning. TRÚ are such a talented trio, so don’t hesitate to buy this album; it’s a spellbinding offering.
TRÚ Tour Dates
08/09/23 The Marketplace, ARMAGH
09/09/23 Echo Echo, DERRY
13/09/2023 Strule Arts Centre, OMAGH
14/09/2023 The Cobblestone, DUBLIN
15/09/2023 Flowerfield Arts, PORTSTEWART
16/09/2023 Portico, PORTAFERRY
17/09/2023 The Duncairn, BELFAST
Website: http://www.tru-music.com/
Order Eternity Near via Bandcamp (Digital/CD/Vinyl): https://truband3.bandcamp.com/album/eternity-near