Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The air of mystic vibration quivers gently in the air, the sound of artistic Gaelic freedom plays with anticipation and the deep longing that fierce independence can bring. The insightfulness and passion for Irish roots is nothing short of overwhelming, the emotions of being able to implore the words Let Me Fly forever entangled in the heart; three words that are ingrained in the soul of Paula Ryan and to whom are thrust into the heart of anyone spending time listening to this, her latest album.

There is nothing finer than knowing a musician actually lives by the words they sing or project into the world, that their belief is strong, unbound by constraint and chains, that their choice of song they choose to present to the world is not determined by committee but by natural love and desire. It is a feeling of joy that is shared and multiplied whenever the listener is found within the vicinity of the song.

It is to the ability to be inspired that makes a person fly, the cynical and the unimaginative back away from such fancy and whimsy but for the bold and the stimulated, the world is an open playground not fenced or dependent on money to create its soul, it only asks to be free and freedom is stamped throughout Paula Ryan and her music.

In writing all but one song on the album, by performing the beautiful lyrics and the often moving pieces, Paula Ryan’s words float like a wisp of cloud caught on a gentle breeze. However that freedom hides a great tale, there is an anger caught unawares that haunts the lyrics and whilst it might not be obvious if only using music as a background, by not paying attention, the force of that wind shifts and the gale it creates, the storm in the heart it begins is worthy and absolute.

In tracks such as the album opener A Thousand Smiling Faces, the dedication to Nelson Mandela in Lion in the Cage, Don’t Cry and Castaway, the music is rich and with a sense of outpouring of generosity; it enthuses the listener to dig a little deeper in their appreciation for what has been achieved and without doubt stands a monumental testament to the soul of Paula Ryan and her creative prowess.

Let Me Fly is an album of beauty and attraction, the Gaelic voice haunting the imagination and one that has truth within its soul.

Ian D. Hall