There's something about instrumental duos. The interplay between two musicians and their tools, nothing else. Everything is there to hear, everything hangs not only on the skills of the individual musician but just as much on their communication. The earlier Scahill-Molloy album One Day :: November Woods, from a few years ago, was a prime … Continue reading Fergal Scahill & Ryan Molloy’s “The Gannet’s Dive” connects trad and (almost) classical
Tag: Irish folk music
Beoga are back with the hugely enjoyable “Phases”
Admitted: I wasn't too happy with Beoga's previous album Carousel all of five years ago. This band was one of the first in the Celtic scene that I really got into when I had my conversion to Celtic and later English and Nordic folk music. Their first three albums really made an impression and confirmed … Continue reading Beoga are back with the hugely enjoyable “Phases”
The waiting is over for Socks in the Frying Pan
Jeez, it's almost a decade since the previous studio album from Ireland's brilliant Socks in the Frying Pan. I believe they've been otherwise active all these years, though, and when inspiration finally came and they headed for the studio, Waiting For Inspiration came out sounding fresh and vibrant late last year. In the cover photo, … Continue reading The waiting is over for Socks in the Frying Pan
Throwback time: “Otherworld” (1999) by Lúnasa
Just a quick note here. It had been years and years since I had listened to this wonderful album before I pressed play on it yesterday and was energized all over again. 26 years after its release, Otherworld remains a treasure trove of vision and energy. The guys at the time were already experienced and … Continue reading Throwback time: “Otherworld” (1999) by Lúnasa
Kennedy & O’Leary’s “Hydra” is not a beast, it’s a beauty
I was delighted to witness Nuala Kennedy and Eamon O'Leary perform at the Edinburgh TradFest 2022. It was an intimate and lively set and I well remember the warm atmosphere and the brilliant musicianship of these Irish masters. And now they have released an absolutely magical album. I believe this is the first time they … Continue reading Kennedy & O’Leary’s “Hydra” is not a beast, it’s a beauty
Altan’s shining “Donegal” feels like a rebirth
The iconic/legendary Irish band's latest release, Donegal, is another victim to my by now too sporadic listening to and writing about music. The album came out months ago and you may have heard it and read about it... but I really need to put in a few words. So, I only listened to it carefully … Continue reading Altan’s shining “Donegal” feels like a rebirth
Looking back on Seamus Egan’s “When Juniper Sleeps” (1996) and “Early Bright” (2019)
I just listened to two albums by Seamus Egan back to back: When Juniper Sleeps and Early Bright. The former is from 1996 and the latter was released in 2019. The difference between the two works is remarkable. Incidentally or not, the time that separates the two albums is almost exactly the timeframe of the … Continue reading Looking back on Seamus Egan’s “When Juniper Sleeps” (1996) and “Early Bright” (2019)
Looking back on The Copperplate Sessions (2018) by Manus McGuire
One of the many things I love about Celtic, or any folk music really, is how fairly simple elements join together to create this empowering, effortlessly rocking music. I use the word 'rocking' not only to describe the feel and the motion but because this is where folk and rock meet: you don't need very … Continue reading Looking back on The Copperplate Sessions (2018) by Manus McGuire
Réalta: Thing of the Earth
It's been all of seven years since Ireland's Réalta released their second album, the very good Clear Skies, in 2016. I enjoyed that one a lot and later on, as the years passed, wondered if that would be all from this fine band. Thankfully, it was not, and even the lineup is still almost the … Continue reading Réalta: Thing of the Earth
The Consequences: When You Weren’t Looking
Ah, sorry for the medium long pause, again. This time it was because of - suprise! - the return of Covid, most likely courtesy of the EG.5 variant that wrecked 3,5 weeks of my life... I was actually working from home almost all that time but I was not at all well, far from it. … Continue reading The Consequences: When You Weren’t Looking
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