Review of Borderless album by Don Bannister, Trad & Now Magazine, March 2008.
The title "Borderless" suggests Maureen’s inability or refusal to be boxed into a musical genre. Inability or refusal as in a butterfly in a box, once boxed its true value is lost.
The combination of Maureen’s singing, and Robbie Long's brilliant guitar work evokes the feeling of a free-floating spirit flitting from musical note to musical note, sometimes a butterfly, sometimes a hummingbird.
Maureen’s lyrics maintain a folk tradition, in that the stories depict historic and family and life.
"Patchwork" does this by relating the skills of actual quilt making with the intricacies of life and family and how they are all interwoven, that neither a singular piece of cloth, or an individual's life/story can really exist without all the other pieces of cloth, or without family and community interactions.
"The Ballad of Miss Pitty" tells of a female convict's miserable young life and is set to a sad tango.
"Rockin’ the Boat" (please see opening statement) tells of Maureen’s(?) rebellious Irish side and is set to a rocked up jazzy tune. Excellent electric guitar playing by Robbie Long here.
"Shoulder to Shoulder" is about the blessings and strength found in a mother daughter relationship and is set to a contemporary upbeat tune.
"Skye Boat Song" is perhaps one of the greatest of all trad Scot songs, set here to a contemporary uptempo jazzy tune. Atrocious, and not one bagpipe to be heard. Harrumph. I feel sure that Maureen will be able to come up with a Jazz bagpipe player at some stage. But still sung and played beautifully.
