Tony Dean and Una Walsh, a UK duo collectively known as Know Fixed Abode have recently released Clearwater, which features sunny, lilting, spiritual vocals as only Irish women can sing with acoustic guitars and fiddle that remind us where our twangy musical instruments came from originally. Highlights include What Did I Do, Kebab Crazed Nuter, and old-style twangy tune called Sunne Days. But by far the stand out track is School Days. which is, at its heart, a country-rock song and you can almost hear Creedence Clearwater Revival jamming along in the background.
no fixed abode
original and traditional folk music
Review links
Hi all,
We are having some difficulty putting some of the reviews on this page as they are in newspaper format or some other format that cannot be cut and pasted easily so we have decided to put direct links to the reviews here.
NEW ALUM REVIEWS
http://www.folkwords.com/902_18383.html
http://keepmusiclive.blogspot.com/2008/05/no-fixed-abode-clearwater.html
http://www.acousticmusic.com/fame/p04232.htm
http://www.folking.com/reviews/reviews/950.shtml
A great review and thanks from us to Ken
htttp://www.zikannuaire.com/report/dossiers/dossiers.php?val=366_no+fixed+abode
This review is in French so if you want to translate please feel free!! http://www.bluesbunny.com/tabid/122/xmmid/474/xmid/770/xmview/2/default.aspx http://www.folkworld.de/34/d/cds2.html#nfix This review is in German....please feel free to translate!! folkword german review
http://www.beehivecandy.blogspot.com/2008/01/whats-up-doc-number-five-january-2008.html
http://www.womensradio.com/content/templates/?a=1836&z=99
http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/times-out-no2?articleid=3005426
http://www.toxicpete.co.uk/nofixedabode.html
With a time-honored, folksy and Celtic backdrop, Una Walsh and Tony Dean of No Fixed Abode have put together a powerful cd of eleven songs that weave a simple and unaffected tapestry of harmonious warmth. Their latest cd,
With shades of Sarah McLaughlin and Kate Bush, Walsh’s voice is pure and unsullied by any commercialism or production restraints. Dean’s accomplished acoustic guitar work is a perfect companion and escort to Walsh’s at times wistful and soul-filled vocals creating an overall sound that drips like honey.
Overall,
Kim Thore
All Access Magazine
We will add more links as they come along
yet another review
No Fixed Abode - CD - Clearwater
No Fixed Abode essentially comprise singer/songwriting team Una Walsh (vocals) and Tony Dean (acoustic guitar) plus some very decent 'friends' called upon to help in the making of this damn fine album, 'Clearwater'.
No Fixed Abode put themselves in the rather diverse category of "alternative/indie/folk rock" - to me they're distinctly more nu-folk/rock than anything else. Certainly, 'Clearwater' takes me down that road and it's really Una Walsh's voice and style that point me in that direction. Walsh has a range approaching that of the inimitable Sandy Denny but with a delivery that reminds me very much of the folksier side of Natalie Merchant - hey, that's a pretty cool mixture aint it? No Fixed Abode have assembled a really impressive album here; there're eleven very tasty songs and they're all given a very professional outing through the excellent choice of (additional) instrumentation, stunning arrangements and faultless recording and production. What struck me as I listened was that No Fixed Abode seem to have a natural knack of getting a certain ambience and, almost juxtaposed, vibrancy into their songs.
'Clearwater' is totally self-funded and as such is a remarkably well put together work; great artwork, full lyrics booklet and of course the main component, the album itself. Top marks must go to No Fixed Abode for their commitment and attention to detail.
So, what about the album musically? Nothing here to find fault with; really well crafted, beautifully performed - again, faultless!! No Fixed Abode mix it up a bit with a couple of folk/country piece that work very well - they're clearly gifted songwriters and equally obviously superb musicians. Walsh and Dean sound as if they've been working together for quite some time; there's an almost tangible feeling of unity, mutual respect, admiration and understanding within this album - really tidy, really excellent!
No Fixed Abode show exactly what they're about and what they can achieve here. My only worry is that their chosen genre is not the easiest to get out there. I just feel that they will always have an uphill battle to achieve what others achieve with relative ease. And that's a real shame coz No Fixed Abode deserve to do well. I'm sure they'll build up a 'cult' following and will get loads of work at acoustic and/or folk biased venues and festivals but, the damn shame of it all is that they'll probably get trodden underfoot by many less capable and less talented acts on their way to wider recognition. Now, that's not through any fault of their own coz No Fixed Abode have got it all really - it's today's music scene that may be the restrictive influence.
Me, I think 'Clearwater' by No Fixed Abode is a polished and very professional piece of work. Superbly crafted and restfully entertaining it's a real pleasure to behold. I really hope No Fixed Abode can get their work out to a wide enough audience to be able to gain the recognition they so richly deserve.
Peter J Brown aka toxic pete (www.toxicpete.co.uk)
(Rhythm & Booze rating 9)
NEW REVIEW 19.6.07
No FixedAdobeThis must be the nicest CD anyone ever sent me ... For some reason I'm pretty popular in Anyway, I'm going to guess these guys were going for the whole folk-pop scene along the lines of Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention, or The Kinks in Muswell Hillbillies. Maybe more recently they're related to Sarah MacLachlan, except the songs aren't quite so heavily produced and it wouldn't be fair to call this "adult contemporary." The one aspect these guys seem to be on top of is their melodies, which I wish more mainstream writers would do. I mean, there's no potential Ray Davies here, but everything is mostly catchy. The instrumentals are another one of the album's best strengths. They do consist of the usual acoustic guitar, bass, drums ... but they also have a penchant for real country-home violins that tend to lend these tracks a breath of fresh air. The best stuff on the album seems to appear at the beginning and the end. The enjoyable "What Did I Do?" starts the album off on the right foot (although I think their closing track "The Time Has Come" might have been more suited for that duty). "Kebab Crazed Nutter" is my favorite track to appear on the first half --- it's upbeat with some gypsy music stylings. My favorite moment of the album must be "Going Home," which is an utterly gorgeous balld ... the melody is not only wonderful, but they let some violins add some beauty. That one's very nice. This is a pretty album, and one that I'm glad I was able to listen to. Overall Album Score: 8.6 out of 10 (Catchy melodies, organic instrumentation and fun vibes --- I wish more well-known musicians would do this.) Average Song Score: 8.8 (The songwriting is absolutely solid. Catchy melodies aren't exactly few and far between.) Album Tilt: 8.5 (They do a nice job keeping the mood throughout with a fair amount of diversity.) Artist Rating: 8.5 (They're not exactly treading uncharted waters, but this is rather humble.) Track Reviews What Did I Do? 9/10 This surely a nice, solid way to open an album. It's a nice upbeat track is a catchy melody and dependable rhythm section. The instrumentation is charmingly organic ... an electric organ, acoustic guitars and they throw in a nicely done violin solo for measure. I like the lead singing ... she's no Annie Haslam, but it's a voice quite capable of carrying a tune. Kebab Crazed Nutter 9.5/10 This is a folk melody that reminds me of Paul McCartney's "Famous Groupies." Hey, that's a nice song too! The melody here is catchy and the atmosphere is light-hearted although I have a feeling the lyrics are a little bit less so. (You can see how much I care about lyrics...) Modern Life 9/10 Good, it's a ballad ... Two upbeat songs and a ballad. That's how it's supposed to be. Sometimes bands falter when it comes to their ballads, but these guys prove just as good at those as they are with the upbeat ones. The trump card they hold is the melody, which is entirely well written. The instrumentation is quite solid ... It's mostly straitlaced but at least they insert a nice trumpet solo in there. There's some nice instrumentalists here... The Salty Sea Dog 8/10 Back to the upbeat tracks. This is another fine effort although I don't think this melody is quite as nice as the other ones. It's more orchestral and sound-heavy, and it certainly has a nice sound. So, this song wins me over based on its arrangements. Whoever plays that violin solo in the background does a really nice job. Absent Friends 7.5/10 This is also nice. They take the tone down and go for a more contemplative, somewhat mystical approach. A few echoey instruments imitating whale noises are prone to fade in and out. I do like their approach and this track certainly sounds professional. There's some very nice arrangments here. But my impression is that it's rather boring, and the melody doesn't seem to hit home. Call Me 8/10 There's nothing like singing a nice melody to an acoustic guitar ... Well, it brings out humility anyway. It tends to wear out its welcome by the three-minute mark however. Sunny Days 8/10 This a nice old-timey country ditty. Some of it strikes me as a bit too corny, but it has a catchy melody and a nice country-western atmosphere to it. I guess if you're going to write country music this is a nice way to do it. Will You Come Dance With Me? 9.5/10 I really like this one ... It's happy and a tad corny, but it works well here. The instrumentals deliver a nice sunshiney atmosphere, and the violin noodling continues to be inspired. I also think this song is well developed ... it's not just a simple chord progression, and the instrumentation is even varied. Nice one. School Days 9/10 A little sloppier this time, but that's hardly a negative ... who said anything had to be perfectly neat? It's the closest thing they get to a rock 'n' roll song although this is still clearly on the same folk-pop line. The bass is mixed a little loudly, but I do enjoy listening to it! Going Home 10/10 They certainly seem to be saving the best for last ... This is another one of their slow folk ballads along the same lines as "Call Me" except the melody is much better, and they bring in some beautiful strings for back-up. This is extraordinary! The best of the album. The Time Has Come 9.5/10 I think I would have opened with this song. This screams "we're just getting started" instead of "we're closing up shop." Well, this is an excellent song anyway that's fun and energetic. The melody is catchy, and I love that riff those violins are playing. This is some very excellent songwriting. OK, that's all. Do the manly thing and send me an e-mail here! |
All reviews are copyrighted by the author, Michael Lawrence. Your love is all mine!!!! http://donignacio.com/clearwater/nofixedadobe
IRISH MUSIC MAGAZINE
the pen of Dean and Walsh. Tony Dean plays acoustic guitar to the
accompaniment of the crystal clear vocals of Una Walsh an Irish woman who
is making muscal waves on the
Who can fault an album with a track called 'Kebab Crazed Nutter'? This
album is very contemporary in feel with songs like 'Modern Life' and
'Absent Friends' beautifully reflecting the thoughts, joys and worries of
21st century life just as the classics reflected a time long past. One of
my personal favourites is the wonderful 'Call Me'. On this track Walsh
reminds me of the vocals of Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary. The
diction, the delivery and the content combine into an almost perfect song
of love and its effects on a single life that reflects the feelings of all.
Another highly evocative track here is 'Schooldays' but the delivery is
bang up to date, showing that you can recall the real past without having
the words set to an old tune.
The following track sets out to be the exception proving the rule by again
leading us into nostalgia but this time with a more traditional backing on
recollections, that track is 'Going Home'.The CD ends with 'The Time Has
Come' wishing us farewell all to early. I
look forward to more music from No Fixed Abode.
Nicky Rossiter
Irish Music Magazine
THE PROMICE RADIO SHOW
NEW REVIEW 4.5.07
Here is a review by Timothy j Dowling a aiiradio.net DJ broadcasting from Los Angeles
Music Review
Band: No Fixed Abode
CD: Clearwater
Genre: Crossover- Celtic/folk -acoustic
When you are a Radio DJ, you could be having lunch sitting atop a telephone pole
and it’s guaranteed that somebody will climb that pole and shove their CD in your
hand. They will then commence to spout some well-rehearsed chatter about how their
album is a cut above the rest and the world will stop if only you’d play it.
And you know something, that’s okay. It’s our job to listen, evaluate, and play the
music if it qualifies within that allusive, nondescript criteria we refer to
as “Taste.” Naturally I refer to independent radio stations where airplay of a song is
based on merit and not some payola or marketing commandment.
But the sad truth is in the current scene, most of the music reflects artists
simply trying to clone themselves in the image of other successful bands. And this
redundancy spans all genres.
So, it is with pure elation that I write this review of No Fixed Abode’s latest
CD, “Clearwater.” From the first few notes of “What Did I Do” they had me. The song
launches into a rolling rhythm that has enough hooks at the start to catch a Great
White, followed by Una Walsh’s Angelic vocal that insists you listen on. I was
instantly convinced that these folks were seasoned professionals and yes, a cut above.
The second song on the CD, “Kebab Crazed Nutter” slapped me back. I struggle for
the words here. This is the song that caused me to throw out any preconceived ideas I
was forming to fit what this band was all about. Here is a tune that I can only
describe as Celtic Gypsy. Actually, it fully breaks out of any definitions of any
genre. It takes you to a place only your imagination can go. Have a listen, you’ll see
what I mean.
The fourth tune, “The Salty Sea Dog” Was a flowing, rolling tune that started to
reel the band back in to more traditional Celtic folk but somehow finds a new
refreshing way to summon the Celtic Soul. While listening I thought this would have
been a song John Denver would have sold his soul to record.
When the tune “Sunne Days” came up, I was already primed to expect the unexpected.
But I wasn’t quite prepared for such a radical and delightful switch. “Sunne Days”
just flat out gives No Fixed Abode an international appeal with the back street speak-
easy, ambience it creates. It certifies that this band has range. This song, much like
the earlier tune, “Modern Life” sent me right to a smoky pub in the New Orleans’,
French Quarter, sipping on something in a Julep glass and watching a sultry beauty
belt out her tune while a single spotlight followed her every move…or maybe it was in
Paris?
And so it is with the entire album. No Fixed Abode are story tellers, bards in the
truest sense. They paint images with music as deftly as Leonardo did with pigment and
with equal innovation.
“Clearwater” literally possesses something for everyone. With only Tony Dean’s
perfectly stated guitar work and Una Walsh’s stunning vocals it would be enough to be
called a masterpiece… but there is so much more.
Comparing No Fixed Abode to other groups in an effort to give you a sense of what they
do would be an injustice. They stand alone at the center of a musical desert of
indifference. This CD begs to be in every collection. I give it 10 whole notes.
Timothy J. Dowling
A K A Hitspinner
Artist’s International Independent Radio
aiiradio.net Los Angeles Affiliate
All we can say is THANKS Tim the money is in the post!!!!
Hi here are some early reviews
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