If there is one clear trend in current music, it must be that style borders are loosening up and very different kinds of music are mixed at free will. Brigid Boden gives a prime example of this, choosing traditional Irish folk music, hip hop, and dance beats as her weapons.
The critical point in such efforts is always whether the result sounds like one integral, natural unit, or like an non-homogeneous mixture. For Brigid Boden, things work out fine. Her beautiful voice soars above the hip hop rhythms, and recites poems about feelings like lost love. She retains the mystical qualities of Irish folk music, and transposes it to a modern environment. If there is one negative thing to be said about her self titled album, it is that many of the songs are almost too similar and only a few have a clear character of their own. But the atmosphere created by the regular, near monotonous, sound creates an undeniable fascination, so this is certainly intentional. What else would you expect from a producer like Kevin Armstrong, a man who has worked with David Bowie, Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney?
Even if musical success is largely unpredictable, if the media play their part it should not surprise anybody to hear a lot about Brigid Boden. Her sound is unique and new on one side, yet fully in the present trend.
