The air of mystic vibration quivers gently in the air, the sound of artistic Gaelic freedom plays with anticipation and the deep longing that fierce independence can bring. The insightfulness and passion for Irish roots is nothing short of overwhelming, the emotions of being able to implore the words Let Me Fly forever entangled in the heart; three words that are ingrained in the soul of Paula Ryan and to whom are thrust into the heart of anyone spending time listening to this, her latest album.

There is nothing finer than knowing a musician actually lives by the words they sing or project into the world, that their belief is strong, unbound by constraint and chains, that their choice of song they choose to present to the world is not determined by committee but by natural love and desire. It is a feeling of joy that is shared and multiplied whenever the listener is found within the vicinity of the song.

It is to the ability to be inspired that makes a person fly, the cynical and the unimaginative back away from such fancy and whimsy but for the bold and the stimulated, the world is an open playground not fenced or dependent on money to create its soul, it only asks to be free and freedom is stamped throughout Paula Ryan and her music.

In writing all but one song on the album, by performing the beautiful lyrics and the often moving pieces, Paula Ryan’s words float like a wisp of cloud caught on a gentle breeze. However that freedom hides a great tale, there is an anger caught unawares that haunts the lyrics and whilst it might not be obvious if only using music as a background, by not paying attention, the force of that wind shifts and the gale it creates, the storm in the heart it begins is worthy and absolute.

In tracks such as the album opener A Thousand Smiling Faces, the dedication to Nelson Mandela in Lion in the Cage, Don’t Cry and Castaway, the music is rich and with a sense of outpouring of generosity; it enthuses the listener to dig a little deeper in their appreciation for what has been achieved and without doubt stands a monumental testament to the soul of Paula Ryan and her creative prowess.

Let Me Fly is an album of beauty and attraction, the Gaelic voice haunting the imagination and one that has truth within its soul.

Ian D. Hall

Irish singer/songwriter Paula Ryan is a unique voice in the contemporary folk world and as a writer has a magpie style where she takes all influences around her and brings them together in bewitching and beguiling fashion. Proving how insanely talented she is, not only did she write or co-write all the songs on this album, she also arranged the album as well as providing the vocals, guitars, tin whistles, bodhran, saxophone and percussion amongst many other instruments.

A theme throughout this enchanting album is storytelling, whether it is that of female aviator Amy Johnson in the wonderful title track, or the wonderful killer last verse in the humorous and catchy Honest John to the heartfelt tribute to Nelson Mandela on Lion In A Cage, Paula sings with conviction and writes from the heart.

This release should bring her talent to a wider audience and is a well-honed, crafted record that will bring joy to all those who hear it.

JRT

Paula is a new artiste to me but this 12-track CD is a great introduction. She hails from County Tipperary and from her website I note that I am more than a little behind the times. She has amassed quite a following and has a good number of gigs under her belt.

The album is called Let Me Fly and with the quality of the writing and performance on offer here there is nothing that will stop her flying or the CD’s flying off the virtual shelves. She welcomes us with A Thousand Smiling Faces a multilingual song that has a beautiful lilting sound as its lyrics waken us to a thoughtful writer and performer. She continues with the title track that has a lovely light feeling that reflects the sentiments of the title. One cannot but smile listening to this enthusiastic performance.

There is always a stand out track that a reviewer returns to again and again on any CD and with Ms Ryan that must be Suantrai Donnacha and one is delighted to find that we get the song twice once as above as Gaeilge and then in English as Donnacha’s Lullaby. It is fascinating to listen to each in turn hearing the nuances in sound and lyric. Havin the Craic is a song that has a sort of “mouth music” feel that rolls over us like a brook over pebbles. Black Swan has that haunting sense of being an old folk song revitalised and augers well for the future of Paula as a writer of songs with great potential to become standards of the folk scene.

Her song The Funny One is yet another of those excellent songs that while expressing what may be the personal actually give us a sense of the universal because everyone everywhere has their own “funny one”.

This CD is a great introduction to a strong talent in writing and performing and certainly sounds as if her live performances would be worth seeking out.

Nicky Rossiter