I Draw Slow

I DRAW SLOW : REDHILLS (own label) four out of five stars

A Greener Shade of Bluegrass

I Draw Slow are an Irish five-pience who have conjured a brand of indie bluegrass that fits impeccably into the traditional American canon, while also bearing a stamp all their own. It's a good trick if you can pull it off. Tracks like the magnificent 'Mama Don't Cry' and the achingly beautiful 'Goldmine' are emblazoned with tasty fiddle and banjo that bring the Dillards to mind. Add their spine tingling harmonies and the heart-melting voice of singer Louise and Nirvana beckons.

There's a touching somberness to 'Goodbye Beulahland' and 'Cry Help'. Even when they take on trad works like 'Buffalo Hunt' they make them completely their own. Most impressively of all, they work their wonders without sounding like they tumbled off the Nashville/Appalachian conveyor belt. I Draw Slow play and sing with a real sense of Joy, never letting the virtuosity get in the way of delivering delicious performances.

They may Draw Slow but these folks find their target with unerring accuracy.

Jackie Hayden.

The band has built up a considerable following at gigs and online and their much-requested debut album is finally available to buy, featuring audience favourites such as the haunting Lighthouse Daughter and the infectious Santiago.

I DRAW SLOW : DOWNSIDE : No label ****

Louise Holden is one half of the brother-sister duo whose songs power this very impressive, if occasionally rough, debut album in the bluegrass/old time tradition.Ms Holden is a contributor to this paper's education pages, but the songs (written by her brother Dave and herself) easily eclipse her previous creative bursts. The rest of the five-piece band is actually drawn from another, the excellent Prison Love, and they help colour and drive the music, particularly Adrian Hart on fiddle. However, the real joy here lies in the songs and her singing of them - even if at times she could project her voice more. There can't be too many tunes about lesbians in lighthouses, certainly none as infectious and intriguing as Ligthhouse. Santiago, Little Switzerland, Sisken Song, That Boy's Not Fair and Dead in the Morning are all steeped in tradition but rendered fresh and colourful in the telling.
One to watch. www.my space.com/ idrawslow : JOE BREEN

HOT PRESS

IDRAW SLOW : DOWNSIDE (self released)

NARRATIVE-DRIVEN COUNTRY RECORD AS COMFY AS YOUR FAVORITE SWEATER. Boasting tales of lesbian lighthouse keepers, a lovelorn prostitute and a pair of pilgrims on a journey to non belief, Downside is a cracking record that wears it's alt-country influences on its tattered tartan sleeve. Over the span of 11 moonshine steeped tracks, song writing siblings Dave and Louise Holden and their band treat us to their take on music that originated in the Apalachian Mountains by putting a distinctly Irish spin on things. In many ways Downside is a bit like a comfy cardigan - what it lacks in style and sophistication, it more than makes up for it in warmth, and this record has it by the bucket load.
EDWIN MCFEE
KEY TRACK : OH SALLY

THE EVENT GUIDE

IDRAW SLOW : DOWNSIDE (No label)

What little treasures we unearth when we least expect it.

I wasn’t familiar with Dublin-based I Draw Slow before their album landed on my desk, but what a beautiful surprise it turned out to be. Their music is a rustic blend of alt-country, folk, old-time Americana and even Appalachian mountain song, and the band manage to fuse their Irish roots with a distinctly American sound – but make it all their own. A five-piece outfit with guitar, fiddle, banjo and double bass, tracks like album opener ‘Little Switzerland’ showcase the beautiful mix of instruments. The majority of the album is made up of original compositions, with two – ‘Bowling Green’ and ‘Little Satchel’ – taken from traditional arrangements. It speaks volumes that sandwiched in between their original counterparts, there’s little telling that the traditional songs aren’t as new as their neighbours. But if anything, it’s the original songs that stand out the most. ‘Santiago’ and ‘Lighthouse’ utilise the stunning vocals of Louise Holden to their full effect, (and feature some fantastic themes – such as the tale of a lesbian lighthouse keeper in the latter track) while the plentiful harmonies work best when they’re a little off-kilter – like on fourth track ‘Halfway’ and the aforementioned ‘Santiago’. Similarly, the gently sparring male and female vocals make ‘That Boy’s Not Fair’ wonderfully plaintive. Fans of contemporary bands such as Nickel Creek will love what they hear on ‘Downside’, but anyone with an ear for well-crafted folk and roots will fall in love with this album instantly.

Aoife Barry