The third album from the dynamic contemporary Celtic-folk band
Solas is very consistent stylistically with their first two efforts, peppering traditional Irish folk songs, jigs, and reels with less conventional instrumentation. But if
The Words That Remain sticks closely to the formula that brought immediate success to
Solas and Sunny Spells and Scattered Showers, it also features a more eclectic song selection that demonstrates the flexibility of the band's distinctive sound. In addition to the expected Irish folk tunes (e.g., "I Am a Maid That Sleeps in Love" and "A Chomaraigh Aoibhinn O") there are brisk and energetic covers of Woodie Guthrie's "Pastures of Plenty" and
Peggy Seeger's acerbic activist ballad "Song of Choice." These songs invert the band's most significant accomplishment: having first invigorated Celtic music by adding elements of American folk and bluegrass,
Solas has apparently turned to invigorating American folk by adding Celtic flair. As always, the production is slick and seamless, employing a seemingly bottomless bag of musical tricks that keep the proceedings lively and unpredictable throughout. The record also features impressive guest contributions by Canadian banjo master
Bela Fleck and vocalist Iris de Ment.
The Words That Remain does nothing to diminish
Solas' standing, achieved within only three years of their debut, alongside
the Chieftains and
Altan as masters of an increasingly visible musical genre. ~ Evan Cater.