Irish-born vocalist Áine Burns has since relocated to South Carolina with her husband and Bonfire recording artist Danny Burns. She’s set to make a name for herself as a superb vocalist with her Celtic bluegrass rendition of the classic Irish folksong “I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Every Day”. It’s a tune with deep roots and countless covers, most famously The Pogues’ version, but Burns claims the track as hers with an effervescent yet rootsy take on the classic accompanied by her husband.
The bluegrass trappings broaden the song’s already considerable appeal. It isn’t a reach to transpose the setting from an Irish pub to Anywhere, USA, circa Whenever. The quiet heartache underlying this piece, even loneliness might be more appropriate, gives the performance a blue and melancholic air. The narrator talks himself up because he doesn’t believe in himself at all. He wants us to hear him as much more than he sees himself and that yearning casts a long shadow over the song’s entirety.
Burns does a fantastic job of bringing that out. She doesn’t rely on shallow histrionics to reach that end. Instead, it’s a nuanced and measured vocal that achieves the desired result. She likewise tailors her voice to complement the instrumentation rather than superimposing her singing over the arrangement. The emotional subtleties in the vocals are often breathtaking. Burns is a gifted singer with an impressive range that she only hints at in this song, and her performance leaves you longing to hear what she can do with a broader scope of material.
The music for the track is ideally suited for her voice. Like her vocals, it doesn’t rely on ostentatious displays of skill to enchant listeners. The fiddle and banjo playing are in tune with the moment and supply the song with what it needs and no more. The lack of wasted notes or excessive verbiage is a signature element of the best bluegrass, and “I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Every Day” fluently translates into this style without any loss of power or emotional impact.
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/album/im-a-man-you-dont-meet-every-day-single/1733065062
It’s cut to a near-perfect length. We look again at the unwavering focus each of the musical principles brings to the arrangement and performance of the song. It says what it needs to say and doesn’t lose listeners through needless detours or pseudo-virtuosic displays of instrumental prowess. Skills this abundant carry the day without any extra push required. If you listen to the song’s needs and possess the necessary gifts, you require nothing else to do it justice.
Áine and Danny Burns do this traditional tune justice and more. It has enjoyed many lives since first penned years ago, and this duo helps it enjoy a new life for a distinct audience. It’ll have its fans. Anyone who appreciates exquisite songcraft and dedication to first-rate performance will appreciate what she achieves with this recording. “I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Every Day” whets your appetite for more. Let’s hope we don’t wait too long to hear what she does next.
Claire Uebelacker