Open and modest, and more than a little self-deprecating, folk icon Christy Moore is in a relaxed mood speaking with us from his home in Kildare. He is promoting his new album A Terrible Beauty and a dozen sold-out shows at Vicar Street, Dublin, through November, December, and January. It is 56 years since the release of his debut album, Paddy On The Road .
A Terrible Beauty, his first album with legendary Irish label Claddagh Records, is beautifully recorded with a mix of deeply intimate songs alongside others that are full of social and political commentary. What inspired his choice of songs? “There’s no concept to an album for me, it’s just a collection of the songs that have come my way since the last album. It’s a record of what I’ve been doing for the last two or three years.
People send me songs from all over and I try and write a bit myself. “I’ve never been very prolific. In the earlier days, I always relied very heavily on the traditional songs.
Then around the ’80s, I started to get songs from contemporary writers. I just love that, you know. I love that someone would trust me with their song.
” Christy is very relaxed talking over the phone, “an old Nokia” as he points out, asking if I can hear him clearly enough. Listening back, there’s not one “um” or “aah”. No hesitation.
The new album features several a capella pieces (including ‘Black and Amber’, the first single), songs about the Ukraine and Gaza, songs on social issues in .
