Listen to the new album CROSSING THE CAUSEWAY on your favorite service here! found.ee/marybeth
NEWS : Crossing the Causeway has been nominated for two 2024 Canadian Folk Music Awards in the categories of Traditional Album of the Year and Traditional Singer of the Year!
What people are saying…
“Mary Beth has an incredible ability to take traditional folk songs and just imbue them with modern song-writing sensibility.” – Jeff Douglas, CBC Mainstreet
“Original songs and old standards, fresh and familiar tunes are swapped in satisfying arrangements. There’s many a rough edge here, many a wry smile, and many a moment of pure joy.” – Alex Monaghan, Irish Music Magazine
“What’s most impressive is Carty’s ability to shine in all these different musical and vocal styles, bouncing back and forth between languages, old trad numbers, her new adaptations, and her own compositions.” – Bob Mersereau, Top 100 Canadian Singles Author
“Her voice has a gentle and understated quality that dances through the sometimes complex melodies and Gaelic lyrics seemingly effortlessly, while at times showcasing a gorgeous resonance.” – Roots Music Canada
Crossing the Causeway is a multicultural project with songs in English, French, and Gaelic, and fuses traditional and original songs, instrumental tunes, and two nostalgic covers by iconic Cape Breton songwriters. The album can be categorized as Canadian Celtic, Folk, or World music, and features the cultural potpourri of Eastern Nova Scotia. Certain tracks will rouse you to dance or sing along, while others are reflective and meditative in nature.
Mary Beth plays multiple instruments on Crossing the Causeway, including accordion, guitar, bass, jaw harp, bones, triangle, shakers, tambourine, cow-bells, and washboard. Recorded with a cast of Cape Breton’s best musicians, including Colin Grant (Rum Ragged), Bradley Murphy (Mhira Blood), and Donnie Calabrese (Sprag Session), the album features layers of acoustic instruments ebbing and flowing through each track, and lush backup vocals by some good friends, including Cassie and Maggie MacDonald and Pastelle Leblanc (Vishtèn).