The Road Back Home is a live album by Canadian singer Loreena McKennitt. It was released on March 8, 2024, through Quinlan Road.
| The Road Back Home | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Live album by | ||||
| Released | March 8, 2024 | |||
| Recorded | August 2023 | |||
| Length | 42:39 | |||
| Label | Quinlan Road | |||
| Producer | Loreena McKennitt | |||
| Loreena McKennitt chronology | ||||
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Background and recording
editThe Road Back Home was recorded live in summer 2023 during four festival performances in Ontario, Canada. It sees the singer returning to her Celtic roots. During the performances, McKennitt recalled the feeling when she first "fell in love with Celtic music" in the 1970s and decided to capture these moments, not knowing whether she "would be back this way again".[1] The recordings were joined by local musicians, whom McKennitt had previously worked with for her Under a Winter's Moon (2022) sessions.[2] The album is set to serve as a "homage to simpler times", trying to catch feelings of comfort and homecoming.[3]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Searching for Lambs" (recorded in Goderich, Ontario) | 3:32 |
| 2. | "Mary and the Soldier" (recorded in Goderich, Ontario) | 4:05 |
| 3. | "On a Bright May Morning" (recorded in Owen Sound, Ontario) | 4:37 |
| 4. | "As I Roved Out" (recorded in Owen Sound, Ontario) | 4:55 |
| 5. | "Custom Gap" (medley; recorded in Owen Sound, Ontario) | 3:59 |
| 6. | "Bonny Portmore" (recorded in Goderich, Ontario) | 3:42 |
| 7. | "Greystones" (recorded in Owen Sound, Ontario) | 3:31 |
| 8. | "The Star of the County Down" (recorded in Goderich, Ontario) | 3:42 |
| 9. | "Salvation Contradiction" (recorded in Owen Sound, Ontario) | 4:23 |
| 10. | "Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór / Wild Mountain Thyme" (medley; recorded in Owen Sound, Ontario) | 6:13 |
| Total length: | 42:39 | |
Personnel
editMusicians
- Loreena McKennitt – vocals (tracks 1–4, 6, 8, 10), accordion (tracks 1, 4, 5, 8), harp (2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10)
- Caroline Lavelle – cello (all tracks), vocals (track 1)
- Miriam Fischer – percussion (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6), accordion (2, 3, 7, 8, 9), piano (4, 5, 9), background vocals (8, 10)
- Romano DiNillo – bodhrán (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7–10)
- Pete Watson – guitar (tracks 2–10), background vocals (8, 10)
- Errol Fischer – violin (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10), mandolin (3), drums (4, 5, 8), banjo (4, 8, 9)
- Cait Watson – whistle (tracks 2–10), background vocals (8, 10)
- James Keelaghan – vocals (track 10)
Technical
- Loreena McKennitt – production (all tracks), arrangement (tracks 1–4, 6, 8, 10)
- Mark McCauley – production assistance
- Jeff Wolpert – mastering, mixing, engineering
- The Bookends – arrangement (tracks 5, 7, 9)
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[4] | 33 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[5] | 9 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[6] | 81 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[7] | 29 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[8] | 18 |
References
edit- ^ Schube, Will (January 30, 2024). "Loreena McKennitt Announces New Album The Road Back Home". UDiscover Music. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
- ^ "Loreena McKennitt: Neues Album The Road Back Home + Tour 2024". Sonic Seducer (in German). January 8, 2024. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
- ^ Murphy, Saoirse (January 19, 2024). "Loreena McKennitt unveils traditional Celtic sound in new album The Road Back Home". PureMzine. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Loreena McKennitt – The Road Back Home" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Loreena McKennitt – The Road Back Home" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Loreena McKennitt – The Road Back Home". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 16, 2024.