Lisa Hannigan

Damien Rice's breakthrough album O got a lot of attention for its fragile, folky love songs and its creator's easily enchanting vocals, but that album's secret weapon came courtesy of Irish singer Lisa Hannigan, whose mellow backing vocals elevated O. Her light lilt lifted his melodramatically moody phrasings, and Hannigan's debut album Sea Sew serves the same purpose: delivering upbeat, playful melodies and an overall breezy tone.

It seems like lately a number of UK artists have been diving into the folk crates and resurrecting the traditional sounds of acts like Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and Hannigan does that, sure. However, Hannigan rounds out the arrangements with trumpets, violins, cello and piano. "I Don't Know" is a subtle song, and one of the less assuming on the album, but it's one of Sea Sew's stronger numbers; its arrangements are a little more creative than the rest of the album's, its lyrics a little more engaging. There's not much to the idea of desire, and there doesn't need to be. Hannigan uses that stripped-down simplicity on the song to great effect.

Much in the way it took Leslie Feist a few albums to truly step out from her crowded Canadian scene and the tag as a former backing singer, it'll probably take Hannigan a little time to establish herself, but if she keeps it up with these comfortably cozy tunes, never over-reaching, she's on the right track.

—Chris Hassiotis
01.04.08