Some songs have a way of stopping you in your tracks, they can be both gentle and powerful. Fiona Tyndall’s new single, “Airdí Cuan”, is exactly that kind of song. It’s the sound of home, of longing, of tradition, of language and land intertwined, and it announces a new chapter in Tyndall’s already celebrated career. I listened to this track while walking the coast of the South-East of Ireland and it made looking over the landscape feel so special.
From the first few bars, you know you’re in for something special. Tyndall’s voice is arrestingly beautiful, with a clarity and emotion that makes you stop what you’re doing. It’s not just that she sings As Gaeilge, every word is delivered with reverence and care, carrying the weight of generations, yet feeling fresh. It’s really something to behold.
“Airdí Cuan” tells the story of a young boy forced to leave his home to emigrate to Scotland. Though physically distant, he can still see Airdí Cuan across the water. It’s a story many Irish families know too well, and Tyndall brings it to life in a way that feels intimate and universal at once.
The arrangement is subtly gorgeous. Fiddle melodies from Fergal Scahill and the concertina of Padraig Rynne lend a haunting lilt, while Brendan Hayes’s piano and string work gently underpin the emotion without overwhelming it. The instrumental break in the middle is breathtaking. It builds softly, rising just enough, then dropping you back into that reflective calm.
Listening to the track, I felt it could easily soundtrack a short film or a heart-tugging ad, but it stands strongest as a piece of musical storytelling on its own. And the Irish accent shining through only makes it richer, there’s something really powerful about hearing the language sung with such polish and heart.
This single is the first glimpse of Tyndall’s upcoming album, Éinín an Cheóil (“Birdsong”), due out on September 17th. Inspired by her late father Buadhach Tóibín, a singer and passionate collector of traditional Irish music. The album draws directly from his handwritten manuscript of over 200 songs, some passed on orally, others preserved with tonic solfa. In recording these pieces, Tyndall is not only honouring her father’s legacy but breathing new life into the songs he loved.
Having spent years bridging the Irish and American folk worlds, Fiona Tyndall has become a beloved figure both at home and abroad. Her previous album Deirin De was praised for its childlike innocence and genre-defying arrangements, and by the sound of “Airdí Cuan”, this new release may push her reputation even further.
Critics are already onboard, The Irish Times’ Siobhán Long has noted Tyndall’s rare vocal purity, and Karan Casey called her song choices “just gorgeous.” We’d agree. “Airdí Cuan” is a stunning reminder of how powerful traditional music can be when placed in the right hands—and the right voice.
So if you haven’t yet heard Fiona Tyndall, this is the place to start. And once Éinín an Cheóil lands in September, don’t be surprised if you find yourself drawn back in again, like the tide to Airdí Cuan.
‘Airdí Cuan’ has got its self a nice little 8 out of 10
Reviewer – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography
Photo – Brendan Burke
Artwork – Viv Tyndall