Something Ilk
Encyclopedia
Something Ilk is the debut album of Irish
songstress Cathy Davey
. It was released in 2004. The release date for Ireland was August 20, 2004, whilst the release date for the United Kingdom was August 23, 2004.
The album received a largely positive reaction in the Irish media. Davey later expressed her unhappiness with the album and the pressures which the record company had placed upon her.
. The studio was named Rockfield Studio. Much of the recording was done during a heat wave which occurred in the summer of 2003. They remained at the studio in Wales for a period of approximately seven weeks. The recording process included sitting down in circles to make sounds and swinging doors open and shut again to create sounds. Something Ilk was produced by Ben Hillier
who had previously worked with Blur
and Elbow
. Something Ilk was then released in 2004.
's reviewer Harry Guerin said Something Ilk was "high on presence and very low on filler" and gave it three out of five stars.
Hot Press
remarked, "Not only is her voice elfin, immediate and distinct the songs are also hugely compelling. They are digestible without being lightweight, austere in places without seeming detached".
The Irish Independent
s Paul Byrne described Something Ilk as "one of the best Irish albums of 2004".
The BBC
's reviewer Sarah Cohen gave Something Ilk four out of five circles. BBC Manchester
was less pleased and left negative comments which compared the sound of the album to Cerys Matthews
and Polly Jean Harvey.
" but regretted that she had "failed to find an audience for her fine debut Something Ilk".
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
songstress Cathy Davey
Cathy Davey
Cathy Davey is an Irish singer-songwriter. She has released one extended play, "Come Over" , and three albums, Something Ilk , Tales of Silversleeve and The Nameless...
. It was released in 2004. The release date for Ireland was August 20, 2004, whilst the release date for the United Kingdom was August 23, 2004.
The album received a largely positive reaction in the Irish media. Davey later expressed her unhappiness with the album and the pressures which the record company had placed upon her.
Background and recording
After four performances in Dublin, Davey went to the countryside and commenced writing the songs which would later feature on her debut album. Davey and her band recorded Something Ilk at a studio in WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The studio was named Rockfield Studio. Much of the recording was done during a heat wave which occurred in the summer of 2003. They remained at the studio in Wales for a period of approximately seven weeks. The recording process included sitting down in circles to make sounds and swinging doors open and shut again to create sounds. Something Ilk was produced by Ben Hillier
Ben Hillier
Ben Hillier is a British songwriter and pop-rock music producer who is part of the creative team 140dB. He has produced such popular and critically acclaimed albums as Playing the Angel and Sounds of the Universe by Depeche Mode, Think Tank by Blur, Some Cities by Doves and Cast of Thousands by...
who had previously worked with Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
and Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
. Something Ilk was then released in 2004.
Reception
Public service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís ÉireannRaidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
's reviewer Harry Guerin said Something Ilk was "high on presence and very low on filler" and gave it three out of five stars.
Hot Press
Hot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
remarked, "Not only is her voice elfin, immediate and distinct the songs are also hugely compelling. They are digestible without being lightweight, austere in places without seeming detached".
The Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
s Paul Byrne described Something Ilk as "one of the best Irish albums of 2004".
The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's reviewer Sarah Cohen gave Something Ilk four out of five circles. BBC Manchester
BBC Manchester
BBC Manchester is the British Broadcasting Corporation regional headquarters for the North West, the largest BBC region in the UK. BBC Manchester also forms a key part of BBC North....
was less pleased and left negative comments which compared the sound of the album to Cerys Matthews
Cerys Matthews
Cerys Elizabeth Matthews is a Welsh singer and songwriter. She is known as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Catatonia, her more recent bilingual solo career, and for a 1998 Christmas duet with Tom Jones.-Biography:...
and Polly Jean Harvey.
Davey's reaction
Cathy Davey later expressed her unhappiness with Something Ilk, saying dismissively, "I think the record company [EMI's Regal Recordings] thought I was an indie rock chick when they signed me and that album is very much other people's idea of what I should sound like. [...] I didn't have the confidence to say no to some of the things [Ben Hillier] suggested". Davey claimed not to "know my arse from my elbow when I signed for them" and "despised" performing those songs in a live arena. Despite this, the Irish Independent described her as "very talented—far more so than [Gemma] HayesGemma Hayes
Gemma Claire Hayes is an Irish singer-songwriter and member of The Cake Sale.-Early life:...
" but regretted that she had "failed to find an audience for her fine debut Something Ilk".
Track listing
SourceExternal links
- Biography at Irish Music Central