Cathie Ryan

Michigan native Cathie Ryan used to sing for Cherish the Ladies, and the sound of her solo debut is, as she puts it, "Kerry and Tipperary with a Detroit accent." Many of the tunes, such as "Ned of the Hill" and the lovely "Garden Valley" are traditional Irish fare and are presented in a more or less traditional manner. But there's also a strong country influence at work here — "White Dress" is a straight-ahead country waltz, and check out the drums and dobro on "Shades of Gloria." Ryan's voice is clear, rich and lovely, with no trace of affectation; she doesn't always sound completely comfortable singing in Gaelic, but she wears the songs themselves as comfortably as an old sweater, and delivers them with a winning sweetness. "The 12th of July" is perhaps a bit overwrought, and the country influence is more awkward than charming on "Eveline," but those are minor missteps and easily overlooked. Seamus Egan's excellent production skirts the edge of overdoing it, but always stays just on the right side of the line. Overall, this is a very promising debut from a major talent.