An album that ebbs and flows around exotic crescendos, wanting for nothing.
A festival of an album”. Americana-UK (Full review here)
“With Fire In The Sea, Maria Shiel delivers the kind of Celtic-infused Americana that gives the genre a good name. What we have here is quality songwriting, expert musicianship, and melodies you’ll be humming from one side of the Atlantic to the other.”
The Irish Times – Tony Clayton Lea
“A towering blend of Celtic and American folk/country music. Well worth your investigation..”
Lonesome Highway (Full review here)
“ Fire in the Sea has an energy that makes some kind of a journey feel essential…the album evokes an “open road” sound in the same vein as country-western greats Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard or folk legend John Denver. As bold as that comparison is, I’m confident it holds up. Shiel may have a younger-sounding voice, but she wields it with an air of maturity and a soulful edge…”
Rambles.net (Full review here)
“ With “Fire in the Sea!” she extends her range to an elemental Irish-Americana that is as much sited in aquatic realms as dusty roads and rugged landscapes; Shiel’s vision of Americana also encompasses Native American culture, not to mention echoes of the Irish diaspora…
Much of “Fire in the Sea!” evokes the wanderlust that seems embedded into the American character, or at least romanticized in its mythology: the notion that salvation or transformation lies somewhere down a two-lane highway, with the occasional stop at a roadside diner. Her songs are of journeys taken (sometimes regretted), contemplated or in progress, for reasons good or ill – or not yet fully understood.
Shiel may not be from ’round these parts, but she appears to have a pretty good grasp of the complexities and contradictions that constitute Americana.”
The Boston Globe – Sean Smith (The Boston Irish Supplement) (Full review here
“An absolutely cracking album! Wonderful voice backed by powerful musicians with songs that lift the heart. A great addition to the music coming from the West.
RTE Radio 1 – Aiden Butler, Head of Programming
“Bristling with Confidence. A remarkable and honest debut album.”
Finbar Hoban Presents (full review here)
“As much as this album [Fire in the Sea!] ties in with American styles and references, it is certainly presented through an Irish lens. It is full of heart and meaning…it is something of an ode to two decades of her life.”
Connaught Tribune – Cian O’Connell (Full review here)
“Fire in the Sea is an eclectic amalgamation of influences which blend together to create a dream world of mythic and mystical proportions, exploring the boundaries of time and the human connection with land, sea and music through multi-generational migration. This is music for staring out to sea on stormy days and for dancing around fires on clear moonlit nights.”
NotBad.ie (Full review here)
“A beautiful mix of electronica inspired acoustics that brings with it thoughts of other female artists like Florence Welch”
PureMzine.com (Star review: full review here)
“An almost Enya-esque wall of ambient vocals… the perfect soundtrack for a movie dreamscape. Maria sounds a little like Edie Brickell”
Musician.ie (Star Review)
“An avant-garde blend of past, present and future encompassing earthy and folk influences from around the world”
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