Soothing slow melodies ring out in a crisp clear tone on the beginnings of The Black Mountain EP. The haunting depth of the piano along with the lightly hand picked acoustic guitar and Joanne Cassidy’s uplifting illustrious voice showcase the folk traditional musicianship of all members.
Joanne Cassidy is a singer/songwriter, acoustic guitarist and a flute and tin whistle player from Belfast. Cassidy has been performing at private functions, weddings, corporate events and receptions for 12 years, showcasing her talent for folk traditional and pop modern music.
On the 1st of July 2012 she released a collection of original material called ‘The Black Mountain,’ with Marty Malone on Drums and Declan Legge on Bass, Piano, Guitar and Production.
The melodious beautiful guitar picking along with the flowing sung lyrics by the talented Cassidy would suit any Irish soundtrack to a glorious romantic film. There is a gentle instrumentation between all the musicians with Cassidy also showcasing her flute and tin whistle abilities. The percussion is tiding over the song, not ruining or coming in too strong, and the bass is just giving that relaxation feeling of contentment. This is a combination of excellent song-craft.
Vibes speed up on ‘Hydebank Hotel’ sounding like a very young Dolly Parton. We have arrived in a western, drinking whiskey and dancing with the cowboys. Picking up a young blues vibe with the rhythm, Cassidy is a very talented lady indeed, adding her own dimension of harmonies to each of her songs.
‘Leaving Your Shores’ provides a look into Cassidy’s future adventures into Birmingham. Maybe she is striving for a better life as she sings about pain, hurt and no hope where she belongs. This is the stand out track for me because of how relatable the lyrics are, anyone can relate to the emotion of the song instantly. The words mean a lot to Cassidy as well as to the listener. Cassidy sings ‘I hope to go and learn a trade, build life and earn a wage.’ This is what a lot of people are trying to do in their lives and if not, then they should be!
A good bit of winter time blues start the song ‘Monday Morning’ – addressing how depressing Monday mornings are for some people! The sound of both the acoustic guitar strumming over the sound of the electric guitar sends a little 50’s zest in my direction. You could easily have fun strumming along with your own guitar. The bass line provides that blue’s flavour people know and love so well, with the flute providing an enhancing layer of listening experience.
The release of The Black Mountain EP ends on a rhythmically Irish vibe, where all instruments seem to come together a notch higher. The bittersweet, down to earth storytelling in her song writing encapsulates her thoughts on how crazy this world can get, about not giving up on what fun is for each person, about leaving your worries behind, getting drunk and losing yourself on a night out.
Music really is the expression of living life for absolutely everybody. It can express every single emotion you and others are probably thinking but maybe don’t have time to say. Joanne Cassidy says it all on her last song ‘Don’t Let Your Candle Blow Out’ of The Black Mountain EP.
◀ STANDOUT ⁞ Leaving Your Shores ▶
◀ SOUNDS LIKE ⁞ Suzanne Vega ▶
