THEIR album blurb describes angels as begrudging no one anything, being open hearted, tearing nothing down, competing with no one and fearless: "That's why they sing and that's how they fly."
These four glamorous women gushed all that sentiment, and such sheer joy too. Not a satyr in sight, and even in James Taylor's Millworker, they could stamp a political card without mentioning "the union": "Me and my machine for the rest of the mornin... for the rest of my life ... May I work your mill just as long as I am able, and never meet the man whose name is on the label."
There is no classifiable theme to The Fallen Angels. They sing for the love of it. Songs come from a variety of tastes, experiences, lives and talents. Joan McDermott led as Gaeilge in Aililiu na Gamhna, in the Scots Gaelic walking song The Mullad and wedding "mouthmusic", and Hailey Kaley set the course in Somewhere over the Rainbow, Bridget Heffernan on She Moved through the Fair, and Ursula Connolly directed a terrific Starfish and Coffee. A rushed leading McDermott seemed to weaken the verse structure in the Frank Hartesourced Madam I'm a Darlin', but a slowing multi vocal chorus compensated. Superb harmonies, counterpoint and parallel octaves made this an exhilarating performance. They treated song as being the sum of lyrics and music, freed, as only genuine angels could manage to achieve, from all the burdens of culture association. Who else could wind up a gig in such a godless spot with I Saw my Jesus?