Sister Irene O’Connor – Fire Of God’s Love

Some of you are probably furrowing your brow right now.

“What’s this all about?” You’re asking.

Somehow, it’s been like…two years since I last posted a full album for download. And in all the years of my unearthing weirdly enjoyable, little-known recordings, I never took the time to share Fire of God’s Love with you. I guess this makes me late to the party, but on the off-chance some of you haven’t heard this masterpiece by Sister Irene O’Connor my embarrassing oversight will be validated.

I was hanging out in the “record room” (it’s more like a second house) of a local music enthusiast/collector recently when an original Australian copy of this LP was spun. I was a little drunk on Boon Gueuze (Marriage Parfait) and port (Fonseca of some unknown vintage) and became downright giddied by what I was hearing.

If you’ve ever enjoyed The Space Lady but wished she was a little more religious and a little more Aussie, Fire of God’s Love is definitely going to impress you. Recorded in the early-70s by a nun (along with another nun who is credited with various production and effects contributions) this has all the hallmarks of a tripped-out acid-folk private-press gem, only it’s not. First of all it was released on Philips, which even in Antipodean terms has to be considered a major label. Imagine if the Gandalf The Grey album was issued by Cotillion. Maybe that’s an apt analogy? Maybe not. Anyway, it’s super bizarre!

Label aside, the contents are even more baffling: etherial, spaced-out vocals, a rudimentary drum machine, synthesizer and nylon-stringed guitars combine to form one of the unintentionally creepiest “Xian” albums you’ll ever hear. There are some duds (“O Brother! (Matt: 7:1-5)” comes to mind) but there are some stunners too, like “Mass: Emmanuel (Text: I.C.E.L.)”. Check it out if you want, you’ll either dig the blissed out parts or giggle at the more otherworldly sinister moments, but either way it’s totally worth the time investment. Dig it.

Sister Irene O’Connor
Fire Of God’s Love
(Philips, 1973)
MediaFire DL Link

01. Fire (Luke 12:49)
02. Nature Is a Song
03. Springtime (In Australia)
04. Mass: Emmanuel (Text: I.C.E.L.) [MP3]
05. Messe du Saint Esprit
06. Light (John 8:12)
07. Mary Was ‘There’
08. O Brother! (Matt. 7:1-5)
09. Teenager’s Chorus
10. O Great Mystery (John 6)
11. Christ Our King (Col. 1:13)
12. Keshukoran