Review of Cara Dillon : Hill of Thieves
Highly anticipated US release of Dillon's latest album, Hill of Thieves, showcases a phenomenal return to Irish roots with some of the finest renditions and vocal performances she has ever recorded. Produced by Sam Lakeman, Dillon delivers sublime interpretations of classics such as "The Parting Glass" and "She Moved Through The Fair" plus a fresh sounding "Spencer The Rover" which features fellow ground breaker Seth Lakeman on vocals, fiddle and tenor guitar.

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Your latest reviews - Cara Dillon : Flawless !
Born and raised in Dungiven, County Derry, this is Cara's first solo album - she has released albums as part of the bands Oige and Equation. It was when she joined Equation she met the man who became her musical partner (and soon to be husband) Sam Lakeman. Together, they left the band within a year of Cara joining and started working towards this release. Recorded in Donegal and Devon, produced by Sam and released in July 2001 this album is a must-have if (i) you like music of a traditional / folk leaning or (ii) regardless of the musical style, you can appreciate a truly outstanding singing voice.

All but three of the eleven songs on the album are traditional. "Lark in the Clear Air", one of these three, is probably the album's weakest. The lyrics are brimming with so much sweetness, listening too closely to them could cause a feeling of nausea. In fairness to Cara and Sam, it wasn't penned by them - "Blue Mountain River", one of their own compositions, is a much stronger song musically and lyrically.

On the whole, though, I'd have to say I prefer the traditional songs. The album starts with what I'd consider to be the best - "Black is the Colour" and "Donald of Glencoe". However, the rest of the album is far from disappointing - the remaining tracks are all very good and would be the highlights of many other albums. "She's Like the Swallow" especially deserves an honourable mention. Like the rest of the album, it's beautifully played sung - it also has the benefit of not being a straightforward love song !

I'd say this album would be the sort of recording that would suit nicely when you've had a rotten day at work - draw the curtains, stretch out on the sofa, start listening and relax. I've never grown tired of listening to it, have never forgotten about it and still listen to regularly.

Cara has won a number of awards since the release of this album - at the Hot Press for "Best Roots Act", the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards (including "Best Traditional Track" for "Black is the Colour") and Big Buzz Irish Entertainment Award for "Best Traditional Act 2003". She has been touring very heavily over the last couple of years, and if you get the chance, I would highly recommend you go and see her. You might find it hard to believe, but her voice is as strong and as pure live as it is on record.

It might also be worth pointing out that Cara's sister, Mary, provided the backing vocals for this album. Mary was the lead singer for a band called Deanta - if it turns out you like Cara's album, I'd suggest trying a few of their albums also. Mary, like Cara, has a superb voice and her bandmates were clearly very gifted musicians.