Celtic Thunder Sings Up a Storm in a Long-Awaited Album

It’s a strange time for Celtic Thunder. Original members Paul Byrom and Damian McGinty have moved on with their careers, their places taken by newcomers Emmet Cahill and Daniel Furlong. In the midst of this shake-up, Phil Coulter, who has composed many of the group’s songs, announced that he would be writing no more music for Celtic Thunder. Shortly thereafter, the group released Storm, which has been on the back burner for a couple of years. A concept album made up almost entirely of songs that Coulter wrote himself, it takes listeners back to an earlier time and serves as a most excellent farewell to an incredibly fruitful partnership with this talented composer.

New Day Dawning - Percussion, pipes and whistles add to the distinctly Celtic flavor of his rousing opening track. An exuberant ensemble cut with the gusto of Ireland’s Call and the reverence of Heartland, it allows each member of the group time in the spotlight and also highlights their harmonizing skills. A song of mingled thanksgiving and trepidation as settlers embark on an exciting but dangerous new life. “Thank you, Lord, for a new day dawning over our mountains and valleys of green. Thank you, Lord, for a new day dawning and shining Your light from above all over this land that we love.”

Outside Looking In - The guitar and quickly scampering drums complement Ryan’s darkly triumphant vocals. You can hear the smirk in his husky voice as he brags about his status as an outsider eager to prove the settlers’ worst suspicions about him true. Never have I heard Celtic Thunder’s designated bad boy sound more sinister. Charley Bird joins in toward the end, and her presence as the gypsy king’s sister emphasizes that this is not just an isolated hooligan but one of many bandits. A classic villain song. “They must be aware, if they think I’m there, it’s a very scary feelin’. Lyin’ in their beds, runnin’ through their heads is one thought: What is he stealin’?”

When You Are 18 - This reflective song about a young man eager to dive right into life is extremely fitting for Damian, who was 17 when he recorded it. Gently backed by guitar, with other instruments gradually joining in as it builds in intensity, he sings of his dreams and frustrations, of wanting to go out there and experience all that the world has to offer although others caution him to hang back. Damian has gained more experience of the world in his teens than many people will gain in a lifetime, yet his 18th year was still jam-packed with new experiences, and even now that he is 19 and taking his career in a totally different direction as a cast member on GLEE, he retains that sense of wonder and enthusiasm. “I’m ready to travel, to follow my star to the places I’ve been dreamin’ of. I’m ready for livin’ I’m ready for life, and I know that I’m ready for love.”

Life in the Old Dog Yet - The omnipresent mandolin brings a melancholy undercurrent to this otherwise vigorous song that has George lamenting the diminishing respect that sometimes accompanies advanced age. There’s some brooding but mostly resolve as this chieftain vows to continue living abundantly, guided by hard-earned wisdom. Of all the voices in the group, I’ve always found George’s the most warmly expressive; he really has a way of digging into the heart of a song. He also has a curious vocal habit of doing a sort of guttural run. That’s a poor way to describe it, but it’s very distinct from Keith’s habit of leaping around the scale like Mariah Carey. It’s almost like musical laughter. I don’t know if there’s a proper term for it, but it’s one of my favorite aspects of his voice. “You can’t put an old head on young shoulders. My advice is the best I can give. Let them make their mistakes. Let them fight for their breaks. Let them learn how to love and to live.”

Not the One - It’s a little surreal to hear Paul here now that he has left the group. This is very much in line with the other old-fashioned romantic odes Paul has recorded in the past. Piano and harp augment this very slow-paced song. This is a man who insists on a soul mate, so while the woman before him has many attractive qualities, he can feel in his gut that someone else out there is meant for him. His ardent declarations remind me of Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid. This guy is waiting for a lightning bolt moment. A little snoozy for my taste, but it’s typical Paul and showcases his sensitivity well. “Can she fill each waking moment? Who knows; perhaps she can. And yes, I realize she’d be a prize for any man. But she’s not the one that’s meant for me, the one that Heaven sent for me…”

Stand and Deliver - Like Ryan’s first song, Keith’s is marked by dangerous-sounding guitar and galloping percussion. Keith is an outlaw too, though his thievery has a nobler purpose than Ryan’s. Still, for most of the song, he comes across as just as gleefully malevolent and equally capable of plotting darker deeds than mere robbery. In some of the verses he sounds heroic, but more often this is a secondary villain song, which is an interesting choice since Keith’s specialty is earnest romantic ballads. This definitely does not fall into that category. A fun tidbit: Keith, along with Neil, performs a rollicking rendition of the traditional Whiskey in the Jar on Heritage, and early in the track he sings the words “stand and deliver.” “Look out, the gentry and the rich, for I have taken an oath. Look out! No matter which is which, I will steal from you both! Whoa, who will stand up for the weak? Whoa, yes, mine is the voice that will speak.”

The Highwayman - Deirdre Shannon’s lovely voice is a perfect accompaniment to the delicate harp as other female singers provide spooky background vocals. A soft, slow song pondering the mysterious nature of the man in the previous track. Her tone is mildly confused but mostly admiring as she sings of his virtues, which to her mind far outweigh his faults. Some of the lines are annoyingly redundant: “I’ve never known anyone like him; he’s like no one that I’ve ever met. How easy he’ll be to remember; how hard he will be to forget.” Mostly, though, this slow-paced song is a nice breather after the pulse-pounding one that preceded it.

Lagan Love - One of the few songs Coulter did not write himself, this old folk song has an eerie chant-like quality to it and is mostly a cappella and is at its loveliest when George, Paul and Damian join in with Neil, whose voice is generally the most prominent here. This was filmed before he was considered a full-fledged member of the group, and it signals his gradual move from back-up vocals to lead. A haunting meditation on a deep, abiding love. “There on the cricket’s singing stone, she stirs the bogwood fire and hums in soft sweet undertones the song of heart’s desire.”

Midnight Well - This electric guitar-heavy song was included on Take Me Home as well, so it feels a little strange to encounter it here, especially since it’s a man telling a story rather than talking about himself. In the show, though, he is both narrator and subject, so maybe the circumstances add a mirthful twist as he is singing about a legend that has sprung up around his own exploits. In any case, it’s a smoky tango with a mysterious flavor to it, and the spooky conclusion puts me in mind of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. While I get the sense the song was kind of shoehorned in, I’d say it fits. “They say when the summer nights come to an end and a harvest moon glows in the sky, a black horse will appear and a sound you will hear as the ghost of a gypsy rides by.”

Shadows Dancing - This fast-paced but seductive number is whispered as much as it is actually sung. Charley returns as the gypsy king’s sister in this saucy track with speedy percussion and a keyboard that reminds me of a circus calliope. There’s not a lot of story to this one; it’s just her putting the moves on someone, and on the album, it’s impossible to tell who that is. All that whispering grates on me a bit, and the abrupt full stops give me a little whiplash, but it’s a lively song. “Shadows dancin’ in the moonlight, shadows dancin’ in the dark. Mem’ries dancin’ for me…”

Harry’s Game - Deirdre sings this Irish-language lament written by Pol Brennan. Multiple voices join in to provide eerie harmonies that resonate as though the singers were in an echo chamber. The understated accompaniment is largely drowned out by the voices in this soft song that seems to reflect a desire for peace. A somber, reflective track stylistically akin to Lagan Love.

Tender Is the Night - While this is mostly Paul’s song, Deirdre joins in on the chorus toward the end, and she also sings a verse solo. This is the melancholy young man finally finding that woman of his dreams and being transfigured by joy. It’s actually a rather low-key song, but it hums with intensity, and I prefer this one to Paul’s earlier track. I especially like the flute that turns up toward the end. “Everything feels right when you hold me tight. Tender is the night.”

This Was My Life - This gently wistful reflection from George is arguably my favorite song on the album. A song of thanksgiving meditating on life’s joys and pains, it reminds me of John Denver’s Falling Leaves and also seems like a perfect bookend to Denver’s Poems, Prayers and Promises. George was only around 40 when he recorded this, so obviously his character is much older than he is, but he’s looking back gratefully on a life well lived. He sounds wearier here than in his first track, and the fiddle adds an aching quality to the song, but the tenderness in his voice is unmistakable. “And lookin’ back on all the years, the loves, the sweetness and the sorrow have made me what I am today, and I’d do it all again tomorrow. It’s been a good life, far from the high life, and I thank God that this was my life.”

Look at Me - The album’s comic high point, this brings Damian and Keith together for a rousing duet as Keith tries to offer some big brotherly advice to the overly boastful Damian. Here, the fiddle sounds playful, weaving a teasing jig around the definitive statements each young man provides. Damian is all proud bluster and doesn’t seem to be listening to a single steadying word Keith is saying. While this is even more fun on the DVD because we can see them truly confronting each other, the two personalities are clearly defined just through the music, and it’s especially entertaining to hear them sing their opposite viewpoints over top of each other. “Take a good look at yourself, and you will see a natural loser, take it from me.” “Look at me, I ain’t no beginner. A natural winner, that’s me to a tee.”

Hail the Hero (Mo Ghile Mear) - The deep-voiced chanting here has a visceral appeal to it in guttural Gaelic. Like Ireland’s Call, it feels like a rallying cry, though it’s more of a statement of victory. The pipes and powerful drums add to the triumphant tone of this song that ends the album. Phil Coulter didn’t quite this song either, but it goes well with the first track. Like Look at Me, though, you’re missing out on half the fun if you’re only listening and not watching too. “Hail the hero, strong and true, who fought the fight and saw it through, who swore he’d never be a slave and gave his life our land to save.”

Like Heritage, the overall feel of this album is folksy and old-fashioned, resting firmly in an earlier century and steeped in tradition. It’s a wonderful showcase for each of the original lads, and while it must leave Emmet and Daniel feeling a little left out, it is a lovely treat for long-time fans who have been missing Paul and Damian. Listening to the Thunder roll its way through Storm, I hope that while the weather is changing, the rumble will continue for many years to come.