2 (The Gloaming album)

The Gloaming 2 (also referred to as "2") is the second studio album by the contemporary Irish/American music group The Gloaming. It was released on February 26, 2016 on Real World Records, and on Brassland Records in America, Justin Time Records in Canada, and Planet Records in Australia.[8][9][10]

2
Studio album by
The Gloaming
Released26 February 2016 (2016-02-26)
RecordedDecember 2015
StudioReal World Studios, Wiltshire, UK
GenreWorld,[1] Folk,[1] Irish traditional,[2] Celtic[1] contemporary classical, jazz, chamber, post-rock, minimalism
Length1:09:44
LabelReal World Records (Rest of World)
Brassland (North America)
Justin Time Records (Canada)
Planet Records (Australia)
ProducerThomas Bartlett
The Gloaming chronology
The Gloaming
(2014)		 2
(2016)		 Live at the NCH
(2018)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic84/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
Financial Times[4]
The Guardian[5]
The Irish Times[6]
Paste Magazine(8.2/10)[7]

The album debuted at No.1 in the Irish Album Chart and was met with critical acclaim.[11][12]

Background and recording

In an interview with the Irish Times in August 2014, fiddle player and band founder Martin Hayes said that the quintet were all eager to begin work on new material.[13] In December 2015, The Gloaming entered Real World Studios in Wiltshire, England to record material that had mostly been written and previewed during the group’s 2015 touring schedule.

Commenting at the time on the recording sessions, vocalist Iarla Ó Lionáird felt that a “stronger” record was being made to the band’s 2015 debut, and that while the group had not become completely removed from its “initial creative area”, something of a departure had been made.[14] Hayes, meanwhile, said that the album had “more feeling” than its predecessor because the five individuals in the band had bonded more deeply in terms of a shared aesthetic in the interim period. Hayes added that the music on The Gloaming 2 possibly had a euphoric and joyful quality, a sentiment shared by bandmate and fellow fiddle player Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh.[15]

Lyrically and musically, the group drew from age-old sources just as they had on their debut LP. For example, “The Pilgrim's Song” comprises two extracts of poems by the mid-20th century Irish poet Seán Ó Ríordáin – “Oilithreacht Fám Anam” and “A Sheanfhilí, Múinídh Dom Glao”, both taken from Eireaball Spideoige (1952). “Fáinleog”, meanwhile, uses a traditional lyric extract from Na Laoithe Fiannuidheachta as well as a traditional Irish jig called “The Holly Bush”. “Oisín's Song” also used a traditional lyrical motif from Na Laoithe Fiannuidheachta called “The Dialogue of Oisín and Pádraig”.[16] "Casadh an tSúgáin" was dedicated to the memory of the traditional Irish musician Mícheál Ó Domhnaill.[16]

The album was recorded in just five days, with pianist Thomas Bartlett producing and Patrick Dillett (assisted by Patrick Phillips) on mixing duties.[14] In an interview, Ó Lionáird said that the music on their second record had been recorded with very few overdubs in favour of a looser and more spacious live approach.[17] Guitarist Dennis Cahill also remarked that a natural feel was sought by the group on this record, and a decision had been made not to “overwork” the compositions by playing them over and over again.[15]

Like their debut, The Gloaming 2 was mastered by UE Nastasi at Sterling Sound. Its album sleeve was designed by Marc Bessant, with the cover art image – entitled 'Flying Lesson' – created by US conceptual photography duo Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison

Release and reception

The Gloaming 2 was released February 2016 to positive reviews and debuted at No.1 in the Irish Album Charts.

In its review, the Herald said that the new body of work “takes things to a higher level”, while the Irish Times called it a “richly textured thing of beauty”.[18][19] The Guardian once again dubbed The Gloaming’s music “exquisite” in its review, and NPR labelled the record “wistful, tender and completely transforming”.[20] “Top-class” was the verdict of The Telegraph, while Mojo described these new recordings as “an album of dark beauty and unnerving enchantment”.[12] The LP would finish the year with inclusions in various end-of-year lists of the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Daily Telegraph and fRoots.[21][22][23]

A five-night residency in Dublin’s National Concert Hall was timed to coincide with the release, with all five nights selling out in record time.[24] More high-profile live dates took place that year across Europe and North America, including London’s Royal Festival Hall, Philharmonie de Paris, Teatro Viriato in Portugal and the Kennedy Center in the US.[25]

Track listing

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. Information in brackets indicates individual tunes featured on a track.[26]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Pilgrim's Song"
6:54
2."Fáinleog (Wanderer)" (The Wanderer/Fáinleog/The Holly Bush)
  • Trad. Arr.
  • The Gloaming
7:15
3."The Hare" (The Hare and the Corn)
  • Trad. Arr.
  • The Gloaming
3:05
4."Oisin's Song"
  • Trad. Arr.
  • The Gloaming
6:13
5."The Booley House" (The Booley House/Lad O'Beirne's Favourite)
  • Trad. Arr.
  • The Gloaming
5:02
6."Repeal the Union"
  • Trad. Arr.
  • The Gloaming
3:07
7."Casadh an tSúgáin"
  • Trad. Arr.
  • The Gloaming
5:17
8."The Rolling Wave" (The Rolling Wave/Music in the Glen)
  • Trad. Arr.
  • The Gloaming
7:16
9."Cucanandy" (Páidín Ó Raifeartaigh)
  • Trad. Arr.
  • The Gloaming
6:01
10."Mrs Dwyer" (Mrs Dwyer/Dick Gosgrove's)
  • Trad. Arr.
  • The Gloaming
6:41
11."Slán le Máighe"
  • Aindrias Mac Craith
  • The Gloaming
8:44
12."The Old Favourite"
  • Trad. Arr.
  • The Gloaming
4:09
Total length:01:09:44

Personnel
Music
Production
  • Thomas Bartlett – production
  • Patrick Dillett – mixing, engineering
  • Patrick Phillips – assistant engineering
  • UE Nastasi – mastering at Sterling Sound
  • Marc Bessant – design
  • Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison – cover art
  • Rich Gilligan – photography
  • BARQUE LLC – management

Accolades
Year-end lists
Publication List Rank Ref.
fRoots Critics Poll 2016
5
[21]
The Daily Telegraph The best Folk music albums of 2016
18
[22]
Irish Independent The top 20 albums that defined 2016
12
[23]
Awards
Year Ceremony Category Result
2016 The Irish Times Ticket Awards Best Traditional Album [27] Won
2015 Songlines Music Awards Best Fusion[28] Won

Charts
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] 154
Irish Albums (IRMA)[30] 1
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References
  1. "CD: World/folk (She'Koyokh; The Gloaming)". The Australian. March 22, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  2. "CD: The Gloaming - The Gloaming". theartsdesk.com. The Arts Desk. January 12, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  3. "Metacritic Review". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  4. Honigmann, David (2016-02-19). "The Financial Times". ft.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  5. Denselow, Robin (2016-02-25). "The Guardian". theguardian.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  6. Long, Siobhan (2016-02-25). "The Irish Times". irishtimes.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  7. Rosner, Ben (2016-04-19). "Paste Magazine". Pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  8. Gallacher, Alex (January 16, 2016). "The Gloaming Announce Second Album – 2". folk & roots music webzine. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  9. Long, Siobhan (February 25, 2016). "Album of the Week - The Gloaming 2: a richly textured thing of beauty". The Irish Times. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  10. "2 by The Gloaming". iTunes. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  11. "The Gloaming Awarded For Their Second Album '2'". Imro.ie. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  12. "2 scores". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  13. "The Gloaming: continuing adventures of a trad fusion supergroup". Irishtimes.com. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  14. "In the studio with The Gloaming". Irishtimes.com. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  15. "The Gloaming - The Making of The Gloaming 2". youtube.com. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  16. 2 (CD Digipak). The Gloaming. Real World Records. 2016. CDRW212.CS1 maint: others (link)
  17. "Space, Time and the Science of The Gloaming". hilwhite.wordpress.com. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  18. "The Gloaming 2 album review". Independent.ie. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  19. "Album of the Week - The Gloaming 2". Irishtimes.com. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  20. "The Gloaming: 2 review". theguardian.com. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  21. "Critics Poll 2014". fRoots. Archived from the original on December 19, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  22. "The best Folk music albums of 2016". Daily Telegraph. May 20, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  23. "The top 20 albums that defined 2016". Irish Independent. December 18, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  24. "The Gloaming at NCH". dublinconcerts.ie. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  25. "Bio". thegloaming.net. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  26. "Discogs: The Gloaming - 2". Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  27. "Ticket Awards: the best Music of 2016". The Irish Times. The Irish Times. December 16, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  28. "Songlines Music Awards: 2017". Songlines. Songlines. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  29. "Ultratop.be – The Gloaming – 2" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  30. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 9, 2016". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
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