Lisa Hannigan – I Don't Know


Everything about Lisa Hannigan is lovely. She’s lovely looking, has a lovely personality (read some interviews) and makes music that can only be described as lovely. I’ve enjoyed her new album ‘Sea Sew’, given it the rudimentary 3 listens before I make a judgement and my consistent thought on it was that it was uniformly lovely. I doubt I’ll be returning to it too much though unless we have some friends over for a thoughtful chat and a couple of Baileys. Pretty soon I will file it away in a folder marked ‘music to soundtrack lovely occasions’. That’s why I wish Lisa sometimes had a bit more bite, was a little angrier or at least a tad more colourful in her landscaping of the human condition. Much like Gemma Hayes she positions herself to take the laurels but seems content to slink in the background and pick up a badge of merit instead. ‘I Don’t Know’ is perfectly constructed but it would be a great deal shallower without the flitting brass parts. So for a finish it just ends up sounding utterly lovely. KD

Lisa Hannigan – I Don’t Know

Watch The Video To Some Surprise As The Cake Sale

More Info: Official & Myspace
Buy Songs: Lisa Hannigan
Year: 2008

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6 Comments

  1. Ronan
    October 4, 2008
    Reply

    Lovely

  2. October 4, 2008
    Reply

    ^ha!do you think she has more heft or bite when she sings with damien rice? like maybe she’s really more suited to playing off someone or singing with someone than being a solo performer?

  3. October 5, 2008
    Reply

    Not particularly mjrc, Lisa Hannigan is what she is and we should be thankful for that but sometimes….

  4. October 5, 2008
    Reply

    Great summary for the album. I agree with the bite issue. Interesting link to Gemma Hayes too. I have seen Gemma live a few times and I seen Lisa recently too and their live energy is something to admire. Shame it’s not easy to transfer that to cd!

  5. Ronan
    October 6, 2008
    Reply

    Managed to listen to a copy of the album over the weekend and i agree with Peter N in that youve summarised it perfectly. In fact, so well, i couldnt stop thinking of the word ‘lovely’ throughout. When i asked my girlfriend what she thought of it she too replied ‘lovely’… but not amazing’. As you said, i cant see myself returning to it anytime soon but then again its not really the kind of music im passionate about and with so much amzing music of all genres out there, its hard to capture peoples attention for long unless its ‘their thing’

  6. October 8, 2008
    Reply

    just saw lisa play last night in new york and with the live band behind her, especially tomo on drums, i felt a bit more oomph, maybe a bit “lovelier.” i am grateful that she lacks that sort of anguished and bitter damien rice vibe, and she has a sort of playful, yet soulful vibe that comes across even more powerfully live than on the record. i really enjoyed “i don’t know” last night. it came off as one of her better songs, lyricaly, musically, all around.

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