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Articles and Reviews: MUSIC

La Fille Du Cirque by Camille O’Sullivan (COS)

Everyone’s favourite Irish interpreter of Brel, Brecht/Weill and Tom Lehrer here also turns her hand to the work of more contemporary talents like Nick Cave, David Bowie and Tom Waits. Essentially a live keepsake of the charming chanteuse’s Spiegeltent shows, this one recorded in Melbourne, it demonstrates her considerable range. For what is perhaps most remarkable about Camille, given her theatrical background, is the ease with which she can switch from good-time barroom renditions of material like ‘A Good Man’ or ‘In These Shoes’, to the heartfelt, slow burning emotional intensity of ‘Song For Old Lovers’ or ‘Marieke’. Also issued on DVD, it is not yet, strictly speaking, available in shops, but interested parties (and you are, aren’t you?) can get their mitts on these delightful artefacts via the lady’s website, www.camilleosullivan.com.

First published in Magill, February 2007