Una Keane
Dublin, Leinster, Ireland | SELF
Music
Press
On the surface, Una Keane could be regarded as just one more singer-songwriter elbowing her way into an already over-crowded genre. But listen a little closer and her classically-developed piano, beguiling voice, her literate songs and her provocative arrangements will set this majestic debut apart from the one trick ponies out there.
The swaggering ‘Alice’ has a Brecht-Weil quality, driven by Bryan O’Connell’s shuffling snare. ‘The Sailor’s Waltz’ belongs in a dubious Parisian bar, and there’s an especially appealing vulnerability in Keane’s vocal as it flows through the dreamy ‘Saw a Wave’. Indeed, water is a recurring image. ‘Down by the river’ has her rippling piano, ‘Antarctica’ reflects the beauty of nature as she reminds us “all this comes for free”, and in ‘Mr Icarus’ she warns “don’t fly too close to the sea”. In the rock’n'rootsy ‘Easy’ she sings “I like to notice smaller details, like the curve, the learning curve of your back”, and that theme comes up again in the exuberant ‘Microscopic’.
This long-awaited debut will evoke mutually-favourable comparisons with Julie Feeney, Kate Bush, Tori Amos and Carole King, among others, but it’s so much more than the sum of Keane’s influences. Her inventive piano invariably adds lustre and atmosphere to songs that avoid any sense of formula or predictability. In Trees she has delivered a noteworthy work that deserves not to get lost in the forest of new releases.
- Jackie Hayden, Hot Press **** - Hot Press
. - The Irish Times
“Of equal aesthetic calibre and with the same DIY attitude [to Julie Feeney and Lisa Hannigan] is the Dubliner, Una Keane…” Stephen Price, The Sunday Times, Culture Magazine
- The Sunday Times (Irish Edition)
“Of equal aesthetic calibre and with the same DIY attitude [to Julie Feeney and Lisa Hannigan] is the Dubliner, Una Keane…” Stephen Price, The Sunday Times, Culture Magazine
- The Sunday Times (Irish Edition)
“Of equal aesthetic calibre and with the same DIY attitude [to Julie Feeney and Lisa Hannigan] is the Dubliner, Una Keane…” Stephen Price, The Sunday Times, Culture Magazine
- The Sunday Times (Irish Edition)
“Of equal aesthetic calibre and with the same DIY attitude [to Julie Feeney and Lisa Hannigan] is the Dubliner, Una Keane…” Stephen Price, The Sunday Times, Culture Magazine
- The Sunday Times (Irish Edition)
“Of equal aesthetic calibre and with the same DIY attitude [to Julie Feeney and Lisa Hannigan] is the Dubliner, Una Keane…” Stephen Price, The Sunday Times, Culture Magazine
- The Sunday Times
Discography
'Trees' LP (Debut) - Released 5 Nov 2010
Photos
Bio
Dubliner Úna Keane releases debut LP ‘Trees’ on November 5th 2010 on Marabou Records, her own cottage industry label. This is a record of 11 lovingly crafted songs exploring the intricacies of growing up, falling down, getting back up, smiling and reflecting upon it all.
‘Trees’ resides for the most part in the alternative acoustic genre while dipping occasionally into the realm of pop. The message is overwhelmingly positive. A more quirky, left of centre approach on songs like lead single ‘Alice’, ‘Saw a Wave’ and the hook-heavy ‘Microscopic’ point to one unafraid of experimentation, of blurring boundaries. Indeed, for the music video for ‘Alice’ Úna enlisted the help of friend and Expanded Architecture artist Sarah Breen Lovett, who integrated aspects of avant-garde film, expanded cinema and architecture. Think Alice in Wonderland jamming with The White Stripes.
Following a Postgrad in Music technology, Úna set up her own Recording studio in 2008. Much fun was then had figuring out all the techie stuff around microphones, preamps, pianos and ProTools until it all started to make sense.
The Album soundscape is made up of more than 10 instruments: Pianos, synths and glockenspiel come courtesy of Úna. She sings with a clear voice, at once raw and delicate. An adventurous rhythm section and electric & acoustic guitars add edge, while lush cello & viola lines embue the songs with layers of velvety warmth. French accordion, oboe and uilleann pipes complete the line-up. Recording took place between Úna’s home studio in Kilmainham and friend Ben Rawlins’ studio in the College of Music & Drama in Rathmines between 2008 and 2010. The album was mixed by Ben and mastered by Aidan Foley of Masterlabs, with Úna and Ben co-producing the record.
A classically trained pianist, Úna’s take on piano has been informed by a deep-seated love of the music of Beethoven, Debussy and such Film Composer luminaries as Yann Tiersen and Ennio Morricone. In 2008 she was the recipient of an IMRO scholarship to pursue study in Film Scoring at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston – garnering a Distinction for her short, but challenging 6-month stint.
“Majestic debut” - Hot Press ****
"Beguiling" - The Irish Times
“Of equal aesthetic calibre and with the same DIY attitude [to Julie Feeney and Lisa Hannigan] is the Dubliner, Una Keane…”
- The Sunday Times
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