All Smiles Tonight

Description

Poor Creature is made up of Ruth Clinton, Cormac MacDiarmada, and John Dermody, all three members of other groups (Landless and Lankum respectively) that have gained great popularity by reinterpreting songs from the past. Songs that have existed for centuries may seem immutable and anchored in time. A new generation of Irish musicians is keen to acknowledge this musical heritage while reimagining the songs in a contemporary context. The sound of Poor Creature - particularly in the context of contemporary Irish folk - offers something unique. There are the vaporous, underwater, almost psychedelic strains of "Bury Me Not" and "Adieu Lovely Erin." "All Smiles Tonight" and "Hicks' Farewell" evoke the influence of American folk/bluegrass groups such as Doc Watson and the Louvin Brothers. These shifting sounds are made possible by producer John "Spud" Murphy, who has produced all of Lankum's albums and has worked with Junior Brother, OXN, Pretty Happy, Ye Vagabonds, as well as the last two albums of The Jimmy Cake, with whom John has played for over 20 years. "There is something in the intertwining of the everyday and the fantastic that Irish music does so well, in my opinion." This also summarizes All Smiles Tonight, which traverses stories, losses, and history to create a timeless, otherworldly album for centuries to come.