When I first heard the description of The Killdares as a Celtic rock band from Texas my very first thought was I have to, no I need to hear them! While waiting for the CD to arrive, I started to get a little concerned. Maybe it was too much of a confluence of style or perhaps it just wouldn’t be as cool as it initially sounded. I need not have worried. Secrets of the Day is the fifth independent release from the Dallas-based band and it is fantastic. Any band audacious enough to feature electric guitar, fiddle and bagpipes are either heading for unbearable cacophony or one of the most original sounds of the last decade. The Killdares undeniably capture the latter and deftly avoid the former. This album will get you moving! I was particularly struck by how melodic and infectious the combination of Brek Lancaster’s guitar, Roberta Rast’s fiddle and Matt Willis’ bagpipes are when either played together as an almost single sound (“Long Island High”, which is perhaps the greatest instrumental ever) or in counterpoint to each other (“Along Came You”). And I promise you’ll be humming “Hold My Heart” constantly, especially long after you’ve turned the CD off. Jim Dawson plays a deep, clean bass guitar and singer Tim Smith bangs the drums like nobody’s business while keeping a strong voice that works with all the songs perfectly. It might just be my imagination or perhaps it could be a little Texas twang creeping through, but Smith almost has a bit of a Scottish flavor in his vocal performance from time to time. Scottish tinge or not, you’re going to love this album, so go ahead and pick it up now from you’re favorite place and do yourself a favor by planning on seeing them live.
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