ALBUM REVIEWS
"Strange Affair"
"A sure sign of musical success is when you can
put your own material next to Lou Reed's and it
sounds about right. This is a remarkable album,
which must create for Loobie a far wider audience
than they are already hitting in the Yorkshire folk
clubs.
The progression from sweet-voiced harmonising
duo, waiting to do their floor-spot, to this
standard of originality and excellence has been an
exercise in musical distillation.
The essence of the brew is made of the
complementary voices of Mairead O'Donnell and Lorna
Bird. They have then added dashes of bass,
percussion, clarinet, tenor sax, and guitars from
Andrew Daley, Brian Anderson and Gareth W. McKenna.
The finished product is a moody, sometimes soulful mixture --
distinctive and malancholy but drawing short of
being samey. Obviously there are influences
echoing through the music - Mary Black and Leonard
Cohen being in there somewhere. Mairead O'Donnell
has a background in traditional Irish folk, having
played for years with Oisin, but I can't hear much
of that -- it is Loobie's own distinctive taste
which pervades the album.
The title sone itself is perhaps the most
memorable with its obscure lyrics and desperate
chorus. "The Knowledge" adds a dash of the
Caribbean and "I will wait" is touchingly simple.
This is a superb album -- well worth the coins."
Fred Redwood, The Living
Tradition, April '97
"They don't sound like they're from Ilkley. The
ambience is far more American and I can only
endorse another reviewer's comparison with
Fleetwood Mac (post Peter Green). They're driving
when required and melodic always, splitting their
well-chosen material about 50-50 between outside
writers and the band's Mairead O'Donnell. Her
vocals, allied with those of Lorna Bird, are the
standout feature of the group sound, particularly
on Lou Reed's I'll be Your Mirror and Dougie
MacLean's It Fascinates Me. The two women can
really sing and the group as a whole does all the
right things to provide a context worthy of their
voices.
Crafted, polished and not exactly ethnic (unless
you think acoustic guitars count per se) but this
is one of those times when a little sophistication
doesn't come amis.
Nick Beale, Folk Roots, April
'97
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LIVE REVIEWS
"The Lamb" Preston
"Last month I had one of those happy accidents
that make you feel that you really are in the right
place at the right time. I'd just popped into The
Lamb to drop off their supply of magazines and
managed to catch the last 15 minutes or so of the
first set by Loobie, a band I had previously not
seen.
I was transfixed by the beautiful female voices
and thoughtful acoustic treatment of some excellent
songs. I couldn't stick around for the whole gig
so after a brief chat with Lorna Bird, I dug deep
into my pocket and bought the band's CD "Strange
Affair" so that I could take the gig home with me,
so to speak. After completing my deliveries of the
magazine I returned home to see if the CD was as
good as the band's live sound suggested it would
be.
Loobie . . . are from the Leeds area and
comprise Mairead O'Donnell -- vocals & acoustic
guitar, Lorna Bird -- vocals & percussion,
Andrew Daley -- percussion, saxophone &
clarinet, Brian Anderson -- bass. Credit also to
Gareth McKenna for live sound. . . . Loobie's
live sound was very folky with a touch of jazz, and
a nod to the blues here and there. Mairead's and
Lorna's sensuous vocals are complemented perfectly
by the subtle backing. Brian Anderson's melodic
bass playing works well with the drummer who
actually plays the songs rather than just bashing
hell out of his kit. The icing on a very tasty
cake is provided by Andrew Daley's versatility.
One minute he's tapping out rhythms on congas and
other percussion instruments, and the next he's
blowing some stunning saxophone and clarinet solos.
"Strange Affair" contains a mixture of original
material written by Mairead and songs written by
friends and associates of the band, plus a stunning
version of Lou Reed's "I'll be Your Mirror". The
songs are strong in both melodic and lyrical
content and the arrangements are beautiful. I
particularly liked the title track and "Hold Me"
but there isn't really a bad track."
May, 1997 MUSO, Preston
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BIOGRAPHY
O'DB [formerly Loobie] formed as a duo in 1993
with Mairead O'Donnell (of two previous albums with
fiddler John Carey) and Lorna Bird (of one previous
recording with 'Joe's Cafe'). The duo continue to
'strut their stuff' around the country and abroad,
and have grown to five with the arrival of Lee
Abbot (of Magna Carta) on bass; Andrew Daley on
congas, clarinet and sax, and Craig Hoggarth on
drums, all over the past three years.
Their recent credits include three Edinburgh
Fringe residencies at the Fringe Club since 1995 as
well as many appearances at Folk Festivals from
Gosport to Inverness, and they have often featured
live on BBC local and national radio (Scotland;
Foyle; Leeds; Humberside; York) and of course their
two albums 'One Day Soon' and 'Strange Affairs'.
This year, O'DB are looking forward to their
confirmed sponsorship from Yorkshire and Humberside
Arts, and to recording their third album, for which
they have been successful in obtaining a lottery
grant from the Arts Council of England.
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