While
The Rankin Family may have spurred the interest in Celtic music in Canada,
Great Big Sea were the ones to really take the style and run with it, bringing it to a younger audience that previously regarded it as a style more suitable for fishermen and grandparents. This self-titled album is the most traditional of the group's albums, both earnest and upbeat. While it might be tempting to fault the band for playing it too safe (versions of both "I'se the B'y" and "Drunken Sailor" are included here), it's nonetheless a good introduction to a band that would soon bring the traditional Newfoundland sound kicking and screaming onto the Canadian pop charts. ~ Sean Carruthers