Here's something that should not only please long-time fans of Great Big Sea, but it just might win over a few newcomers. I've always felt the band's greatest strength was the ability to combine the traditional songs of their homeland of Newfoundland with modern pop/rock sensibilities. And FORTUNE'S FAVOUR fulfills that ambition flawlessly. Not since 1995's Up have I enjoyed a Great Big Sea album so completely.Here's a breakdown of the tracks:--LOVE ME TONIGHT & WALK ON THE MOON: Two near-perfect pop numbers that set the mood for an album's worth of life-affirming melodies--ENGLAND finds Sean McCann in fine form in a traditional-sounding story song about finding one's fortune in Newfoundland--HERE AND NOW is an up-tempo rocker in the same vein as "When I'm Up" and "Shines Right Through." Alan Doyle drives home his live-for-today philosophy with some evocative vocals--LONG LOST LOVE: Sean McCann channels a reggae vibe for a fun, funny tune about pining for a lost love. This song has one of the album's best verses, as the singer talks of buying his intended a limousine: "But when you get out on the highway/Life is seldom as it seems/When the car breaks down/You'd start blaming me."--OH YEAH: Alan Doyle's long-held aspiration of being a rock star come at you full-speed in this surprising song that's bound to sound fantastic in concert.--DREAM TO LIVE: My favorite track at the moment. McCann again, telling another travelling song, over a driving beat. The chorus simply soars--COMPANY OF FOOLS is Doyle again, playing around. Not my favorite song, but it's amusing and full of life--HARD CASE and HEART OF STONE: Two more pop numbers which are growing on me. The latter features vocal assistance from the talented Jeen O'Brien--DANCE DANCE is a classic Doyle theme: Trying to get the girl. "Before the band is done/Before your Daddy comes." A cute uptempo number--STRAIGHT TO HELL is sure to be a concert highlight. It's a testament to Alan Doyle's songwriting skills that he can transplant the legendary Robert Johnson "crossroads" blues mythology and apply it to folk singers from Newfoundland. But it works, and it's a great way for the album to go out with a bangWhat may not come through in reading those brief track descriptions is the often-brilliant musicianship of FORTUNE'S FAVOUR. The guys have literally never sounded better. The whole disc flows beautifully. And for those who prefer traditional songs to the pop stuff, no less than 4 songs on the disc feature references to the band's homeland. And although you may think you're hearing song traditional material, the band wrote every one of the tracks on the album.And it's that last reason, more than anything else, that makes FORTUNE'S FAVOUR a classic. After 15 years of adapting traditional music to their own style, Great Big Sea is now making their OWN traditional music for future generations to enjoy.Highly recommended.Fortune's Favor is the latest in a long line of great albums by the Great Big Sea...a definite must have!
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