Over the course of nine studio albums, two
live albums and countless concert performances in the past
twenty-five years, Galway-born torch singer Mary
Coughlan has established herself as one of her native
land’s most enduring and remarkable vocal talents.
From her break through success on 1985’s ‘Tired
And Emotional’ to her internationally acclaimed ‘After
The Fall’ (1997); and onwards to her faithful
and poetic rendering of the songs of Billie Holiday in
2000. She has cast her meditative eye over songs of joy,
sadness, mischief and melancholy; and has delivered each
one with a voice that effortlessly straddles jazz, blues,
chanson and pop in equal, sublime measure.
She embarks on the next phase of her career with an extraordinary
new album. Entitled ‘The House of Ill Repute’ – its
thirteen songs represent the end of a thirteen year relationship
in Mary’s life. The album re-unites her with Dutch
producer ErikVisser, whose previous work
with Mary has inspired them both to career best performances
on the aforementioned ‘Tired And Emotional’ and ‘After
The Fall’ albums. Seldom has there been a better matched
maestro and muse; as the immaculate song selection, sympathetic
arrangements and matchless performances on this record reflect.
The first single is the late Kirsty MacColl’s wry
discourse on misadventure ‘Bad’,
an early highlight of an album that runs the gamut of emotions
like a long night of Reeperbahn madness. Flirtatious on ‘Love
Is Extra’, salacious on ‘Pornography’,
outrageous on ‘Tootsies’; Madame
Coughlan knows the intimate details of all the visitors to The
House of Ill Repute. And in the cold light of the
morning, we find them adrift on the emotional tundra of ‘Antarctica’ or
clinging to the barren (Celtic) rock of ‘The
Whore Of Babylon’.
It’s often said that an artist’s best work is
made under the most trying of personal circumstances. With
the release of ‘The House of Ill Repute’; Mary
Coughlan emerges from the catharsis of record making,
waking up to a new day; confident in the knowledge that she
has produced an album which will stand up as one of the very
best of her stellar career to date.
The House of Ill Repute is released on
CD and download on Rubyworks on 17th October
2008. ‘Bad’ will be released
as a download only single on 10th October
For more information, please contact
Tara McCormack
Tel :
01 284 1747
Email : tara@rubyworks.com
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