The Hour Before Dawn

1	Bheadh Buachaillin Deas Ag Sile 3:16
2	Granny Quinn's/The Lilac Reel/Sporting Pat Reels 4:15
3	Last Great Whales 5:41
4	A Little Child 3:59
5	A Miner's Life 4:52
6	What's Up with Win/Sonny Brogan's/Cahal's Jig Jigs 4:32
7	When My Love And I Parted 2:59
8	Homeless 3:46
9	Boy/Girl Tune 3:35
10	Bruach Na Carraige Báine 5:35
11	Bonnie Mae 3:57
12	70 The New Custom House/The Flavor of the Month/The Tinkers Daughter 5:46
13	I Will Remember You 7:15

Barnes & Noble

A trans-Atlantic Celtic band of the highest caliber, Solas triumph once again with their verve, clarity, and sheer cool on The Hour Before the Dawn. For this fourth album, they acquire the formidable talents of Deirdre Scanlan, the All-Ireland Champion Vocalist of 1999. She makes a thoroughly graceful entry into the band's exuberant Gaelic dance songs and conscience-stirring ballads. Scanlan even takes a crack at founder Seamus Egan's "I Will Remember You," which landed a Grammy for Sarah McLachlan on The Brothers McMullen soundtrack. Is there a Gaelic word for chutzpah? The girl's definitely got it. The most exciting music here is instrumental, however. John Doyle's irresistible rhythm guitar drives their jigs and reels, while Winifred Horan's heart-string violin on the haunting "A Little Child" is matched only by the simple plaint of Mick McAuley on piano accordion. Egan's "Homeless" is an audio short subject -- restless, graceful, and oddly hopeful. And when the crew gets down to playing as a full ensemble, it's an inspiring affair -- precise, joyous, and always light of touch. Emily King

All Music Guide

As the title suggests, The Hour Before Dawn is a mellower album than any of Solas' three previous efforts. The record is weighted toward the soft and reflective, successfully evoking musically the quiet sunrise atmosphere captured in Didem Atahan's beautiful cover design. "A Little Child," for instance, is a lovely slow air that gives talented fiddler Winifred Horan an expressive solo. "When My Love and I Parted" is hauntingly rendered with wailing strings. Even the union ballad "A Miner's Life," a song that might have been played with more verve on the earlier records, is given a very fetching mellow treatment centered around a rare lead vocal performance by guitarist John Doyle. The new mood is a welcome change of pace from the other records, which tended to vary little in tone from one to the next. And even in the quietest tracks, the arrangements are always inventive and detailed, a hallmark of the Solas style. But one can't help missing the explosive dynamism of past efforts. There is no "Maid on the Shore," "Pastures of Plenty," or "Song of Choice," songs that allowed the band to kick into a high-octane performance style unmatched by any of its Celtic peers. The band's song selections are also a little more conservative here than on The Words That Remain, which featured a few experiments with American folk. The one (admittedly significant) exception is "I Will Remember You," a Solas-ized version of the hit pop song that Solas leader Seamus Egan wrote with Sarah McLachlan. It is performed charmingly by new lead vocalist Deirdre Scanlan, who is perhaps not as distinctive or as remarkable a singer as the departed Karan Casey, but nonetheless provides a lovely foundation for the masterful musicianship of her colleagues. The cover, like much of The Hour Before Dawn, reveals new facets of the band's sound. This shouldn't be the only Solas record in your collection, but it's a must-have for serious Celtic music enthusiasts. Evan Cater