There is a rather funny scene in an Alan Partridge episode, where he is struggling to come up with Irish musicians; he comes up with Enya and with some prompting U2. This scene pops up because; people seem to have a rather distorted view of Irish music rarely acknowledging what the Irish have done for music. In my opinion, Kila have done a lot for Irish music, they are one of the most innovative and original bands in world music today, despite being around for 20 plus years. If you want to discover what the true Ireland is like through music, then look no further than Kila.
Soisin is Kila's ninth studio album and it is completely different to any of their previous efforts. For a start, if you have been a listener of them in the past, you will notice it takes on a hugely mellow tone. The album really is the true definition of the word mellow. It gently caresses the listener into a sense of soothing and calm on a journey of sadness and happiness in the form of upbeat and downbeat songs. It is hypnotic, yet calming. From the opening of 'The Kissing Gate', you will be enticed, right up until the end, where it feels too soon to finish, such a stunningly beautiful album.
The band is full of talented musicians. With so many instruments (over 30 in total), one could envisage the album as being a noisy, incoherent instrumental mess. Alas, it is not, each instrument feels like it is part of a tapestry; together they just blend into something so magical and beautiful. This album captures the true spirit of the Irish; it is full of passion, yet in an understated way and it is full of tradition in the form of the instruments used, as well as the structure of the songs. This is what makes the album so great, you feel the passion and you sense the tradition associated with the music. This album is truly spellbinding and I thoroughly recommend it.