New Folk Rock Star-Irish Post
Irish Post, 17th Feb 2006
LAURA MCGHEE
Laura McGhee has the confidence and talent to hold any crowd, the Scots/Irish songbird first emerged on the traditional folk scene over a year ago when she accompanied Shane MacGowan on Fairytale of New York at the Barrowlands proving not only could she sing but was also a mean fiddle player into the bargain. Just don't expect Laura to be sporting an Arran sweater, she may sing in a strong dialect like The Proclaimers but her image is sharp and contemporary.

Songs such as Tell It Tae The Lover are bursting with rich language and a fiddle hook that will be swimming around your head for weeks. Never Loved At All is a teary Celtic love ballad and it's on tracks like this you understand why Shane MacGowan described her as "Loretta Lynn's Celtic soul sister". There's a quality here also reminiscent of Eddi Reader as Laura takes dialect and far from alienating her audience; it draws them in. Indie fans, flat capped punters and weekend drinkers all bop along to her infectious folk pop on Stepping Stone and Green Eyes.

McGhee has the potential to crossover because her strength is that she understands the genre in which she is operating in- ancient folk stories in a contemporary setting. Her unquestionable virtuoso fiddle playing has the hair on the back of your neck standing on end. Not only that but working alongside Echo And The Bunnymen's Ian MacCulloch and Shane MacGowan has granted Laura an essential street kudos. One to watch out for! - Richard Purden, Irish Post 17th Feb 2006.