''Rua'' is the first full-length album by

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

- Australian band

Clann Zú Clann Zú were an Australian- Irish band that formed in late 1999 in Melbourne. By early 2002 they had relocated to Dublin. The group issued two albums, '' Rua'' (2002) and '' Black Coats & Bandages'' (June 2004), before disbanding in May 2005. ...

. The album contains themes of resistance and desperation. The songs are sung mainly in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, though there is some use of

. The production gives the songs a heavily layered sound, with prominent use of

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

tracks and

Declan de Barra Declan de Barra is an Irish musician, animator and screenwriter, best known for his work in American television. In addition, de Barra's animations have featured in various international film festivals. Music Born in Bunmahon, Co. Waterford, I ...

's emotive voice. There is a video for the track "Five Thousand More" on the CD.

Background

Clann Zú were formed in Melbourne in 1999 and released their debut album, ''Rua'', with the line-up of Benjamin Andrews on

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...

, Nathan Greaves on

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

on lead vocals and

bodhrán The bodhrán (, ; plural ''bodhráin'' or ''bodhráns'') is a frame drum used in Irish music ranging from in diameter, with most drums measuring . The sides of the drum are deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side (synthetic heads or oth ...

, Russell Fawcus on

electric violin An electric violin is a violin equipped with an electronic output of its sound. The term most properly refers to an instrument intentionally made to be electrified with built-in pickups, usually with a solid body. It can also refer to a violin fi ...

and keyboards, and Lach Wooden as their engineer and providing sound manipulation. They relocated to continental Europe in December 2001 and then on to Dublin, Ireland in the following year.

Reception

Stewart Mason of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

reviewed Clann Zú's second album, '' Black Coats & Bandages'' (2004): he described ''Rua'' as a " head-spinning debut" and that both albums were "close to impossible to sum up in an easy sentence, because there are so many comparisons." Sputnikmusic's Tyler Munro summarised his review of ''Rua'': the group "blurs the line between celtic/folk, indie rock and electronica almost flawlessly to create a unique, organic listening experience." Adam White of Punknews.org felt it was "a wonderfully original and inspired album" showing "an eclectic mix of styles, with a rhythm section firmly rooted in electronica, instrumentation from Irish folk music and dark melodies that call to mind Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds."

Track listing

Music by Clann Zú; lyrics by

. # "Words for Snow" – 4:37 # "Five Thousand More" – 4:14 # "Hope This Day" – 3:17 # "All That You've Ever Known" – 5:34 # "Everyday" – 4:05 # "All the People Now" – 6:31 # "Rí Rá" – 3:22 # "Lights Below" – 6:12 # "Crashing to the Floor" – 2:44 # "You're Listening to a Dead Man Speak" – 6:53 # "Five Thousand More" (Video)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rua (Clann Zu Album) 2003 albums Clann Zú albums