At a time when the role of American voice in traditional Irish song is being questioned on grounds of authenticity, we are given an album that, if it does not silence the debate completely, should quiet it down for a moment at least. The singing of Julee Glaub is not quaint, affected, or pretty. Her voice is imbued with that rare quality Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca defines as duende, or presence. "The duende," Lorca writes, "is not in the throat; the duende climbs up inside you, from the soles of the feet."

Julee has the capacity to sing beyond the song, to get down into the pure emotional core, and give back to us the song in a way that moves us utterly. In a world where it is almost impossible to feel anything, Julee gives us back our hearts. This is what traditional Irish song is about--conveyance of emotion. The ornamentation so crucial to the "Irishness" of these songs does not come forced or strained. They are an element integral to emotion as is evidenced by Julee's stunning Sean Nos rendition of The Flower of Magherally O. There is risk in this singing. Julee Glaub does not hide. She has lived these songs. We hear it and we say yes. Here is a voice that holds the birds in awe.
- Kevin Goodan, New York, 2001