“Mary Jane and Wendy’s set left me awestruck.” – Roots Music Canada
Press
“Mary Jane Lamond & Wendy MacIsaac album “Seinn” is destined to be a real crowd pleaser. From its stellar music and songs to its lush production, this is a fantastic and very enjoyable album that will not only appeal to fans of Scottish or Cape Breton music, but to anyone who loves great acoustic music.” – Echo
“Both Lamond and MacIsaac bring this music forth from deep in their souls, and they and their collaborators bring a great sense of fun and passion to it that comes across at every turn. Highly recommended.” – The Green Man Review
“Reels and strathspeys, mouth music and mournful songs of unrequited love, slow airs and island anthems: this recording spans the full spectrum of Gaelic music. From the beautiful pure voices on “Rinn Mi Còrr” is Naoi Mile to the musical melting pot of celtic and country “If You Were Mine”, Lamond and MacIsaac weave their way confidently through Scottish and Canadian influences. It’s tasteful, it’s tuneful, and it’s also a tantalising glimpse into the evolutionary process which is reinventing celtic music in maritime Canada.” – Folkworld
Some sublime traditional music here from two lights of the Canadian firmament. As such, they can do little wrong and, indeed, Seinn is a treat from start to finish. Fantastic sets of tunes featuring MacIsaac’s astringent Cape Breton fiddling (and mandolin) are interspersed with Lamond’s Gaelic songs. Highlights there are a-pleny: the hypnotic “If You Were Mine,” some very tasty Wendy MacIsaac originals on “Boise Monsters,” and Lamond’s obligatory solo “Rinn Mi Corr Is Naoi Mile” (she does a cappella soooo well). If you’re a fan of any of the many strands of Celtic music, Seinn is absolutely essential. – Penguin Eggs
Mary Jane & Wendy released their album Seinn on September 18, 2012 and ended the year with a bang. Here are the highlights from the press round-up:
– No Depression magazine Top Albums of 2012, UK
– NPR Top 10 Folk/Americana albums of 2012, USA
– KVMR 105.1FM “Music of the World” DJ’s Top Picks of 2012, USA
– WTMD Towson University campus radio “If You Were Mine” Top 10 Songs of 2012, USA
– 2012 Top Folk Album at Folk Alley
– Folk Alley declared “If You Were Mine” Top Songs of 2012
– About.com Top 12 World Music Albums of 2012
“Lamond has a gorgeous voice and an unequaled mastery of the Gaelic tongue. MacIsaac has for years been one of Cape Breton’s strongest and most reliable fiddlers. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with — a long-standing blending of talents that has continued to grow, develop and strengthen through the years … and has never failed to satisfy.” – Rambles
“Seinn is a collection of Celtic tunes, both traditional in and of the tradition, and is one of the finest I have ever heard, both in terms of musicianship and production. The performances are absolutely magically, glowingly, dynamically wonderful front to back, and you can feel the energy that must have filled the studio during the recording sessions.” – Victory Review
“Music from a couple of Cape Breton music legends? Yes please. Seinn is the first collaboration between two long time friends who share a love of the musical traditions of Nova Scotia. It’s an album created by a couple of virtuosos and it’s a real delight from beginning to end – traditional and original music blending wonderfully together.” – Folk Alley
“Seinn is a magical elixir of melody; one shot of supple, one shot of swagger.” – Celtic Life International
“If there were two more marvelous instruments on the East Coast than Lamond’s voice and MacIsaac’s fiddle, I’d like to know about them” – Bob Mersereau
“Gaelic vocalist Mary Jane Lamond and expert fiddle player Wendy MacIsaac present Seinn, an album reflecting their love of Celtic music, Nova Scotia tradition, and Cape Breton’s cultural legacy. The rich and wondrous traditions of Highland art are given a new and original vibrancy in this superb two-woman performance that revels in the beauty of Gaelic lyrics and the high emotion of the fiddle. Highly recommended.” – Wisconsin Bookwatch
“Singer Mary Jane Lamond and fiddle player Wendy MacIsaac make a fine duo as well, joining forces to bring a collection of music from Cape Breton in Atlantic Canada on Seinn an album that shares the tang of salt spray and the mystery of Maritime forests, and honors the dance based fiddle music of the place along with its long heritage of Scottish Gaelic culture. Two standout cuts are Keeping Up with Calum and Seudan a’ Chuain/Jewels of the Ocean.” – Music Road
“Two ambassadors of Cape Breton’s traditional music, singer Mary Jane Lamond and fiddler Wendy MacIsaac, romping through a set of Nova Scotian music, both melancholic songs and lively dances. Enchanting, energetic, excellent!” – FolkWorld Music
“From old-school strathspeys to smooth jazzy jigs and rocking reels, and silvery songs sung in Scots Gaelic, this record rewards the ear from start to finish.” – Fiddlefreak
“Seinn is jaw-dropping” – World Beat Canada
“The musical tradition of Cape Breton beautifully interpreted by two skilled custodians of note bringing their artistry to bear in a collection of fine tracks, the album includes both instrumentals and tracks sung in the Scots Gaelic dialect – Mary Jane Lamond being one the few remaining Scots Gaelic singers on the island learning and spreading the endangered language through the art of the song, her collaborator on this recording Wendy MacIsaac is recognized as one of Cape Breton’s finest exponents of the fiddle – the instrument centric to the island musical traditional.” – Beat-Surrender
“This isn’t museum piece music, but the Gaelic Scottish music tradition as a living, breathing art.” – Arts & Culture Maven
“Traditonal yes, but Seinn can ignite fresh movement and reflection in the jaded.” – The Coast
“Anyone who has had the opportunity to see MacIsaac and Lamond perform together could not help but be struck by the chemistry between them. It’s as if they were born to play together.” – The Guardian
“Whether it’s the mesmerizing Gaelic vocals of Mary Jane, or the superb and true musicianship of Wendy on the fiddle, these ladies have been making their mark with traditional audiences worldwide for over two decades.” – Tradconnect.com
“It’s been way too long since we’ve had new music from Mary Jane Lamond. Her voice washes over you like spring rain, clearing out the darkness and cobwebs. Mary Jane and Wendy have made a beautiful collection.” – Our Roots Are Showing, KRCB Radio
“The music sings like the Cape Breton Highlands. It is bold, beautiful and paints a sweeping landscape.” – East Coast Kitchen Party
“Seinn is fresh and richly textured, with a nice variety of old tunes, new compositions, fiddle breakdowns, vocal ballads, all mixed and matched as these talented women saw fit. The album manages to capture the essence of that particular joy of musicians who really love playing together, and though the tunes span the emotional range from chipper to melancholy, it never takes that dreaded turn toward the morose.” – About.com
“A shared love of traditional music is something Mary Jane and Wendy have long held in common, and the new recording features a great balance of the traditional sounds while never fearing to try something new in composition or arrangement.” – The Inverness Oran
“Timeline is an excellent example of the background that molded Wendy MacIsaac into the person and the player that she is today, richly steeped in the Gaelic culture and the society of the rural Inverness County. To me, this is what makes her special. As an all-around package, Wendy MacIsaac is one of the best there is. Forget about thinking that her playing gets to the heart of the music, Wendy and her playing will get to your soul.” – Cape Breton Post
“Lamond’s use of modern instrumentation and arrangements provides a beautiful framework for these treasures, but it is her vocal performance and delivery that makes these selections truly come.” – MusicTrax
“Deeply personal, “Timeline”, like all good art, reaches beyond itself to include the listener in a drama of the unexpected. Wendy MacIsaac’s “Timeline” takes the listener on an emotional experience with the Creignish fiddler.” – The Inverness Oran
“Timeline is a fine fine disc by one of the best Cape Breton fiddler players. You can feel the climate, the yearnings and the community in the music. It is a testimonial to life, and all the joys and sorrows that life holds.” – All Music Guide
“Lamond is a splendid interpreter of challenging material.” – Chicago Tribune
“She wraps traditional Gaelic songs in contemporary treatments, a veritable postmodern pastiche.” – Sing Out Magazine
“Fiddler Wendy MacIsaac showed her mastery of the wildly varied cadences of the Cape Breton fiddling style” – The Chicago Tribune
“Lamond’s interpretations are conscientious and articulate, giving each song its most lucid and truest expression. There’s no question she’s one of the finest Gaelic singers around today.” – Dirty Linen
“[Wendy MacIsaac is] one of the most talented people this island has ever produced” - CBC Mainstreet
In every culture there are those who preserve the language, song and traditions. Mary Jane Lamond is one of those people. This is evident in her most recent CD, Storas (Gaelic meaning “a treasure”). This is exactly what our traditions are…they are our treasures.” – Celtic Connection
“Her hypnotic, word-tumbling style is a wicked delight, even if you don’t understand a word.” – Saturday Night
“There’s life and emotion in all of these songs – and the consistently tasteful arrangements ensure satisfying shifts in both temp and mood. Instrumentally sparkling, the recording captures a rich, traditional acoustic sound.” – The Living Tradition
