A Lovely Madness

‘Beoga’ is Irish for ‘lively’, and that’s certainly an accurate name for this ebullient four-piece from Counties Antrim and Derry. With no less than two superb button accordionists on board, plus assorted backing instruments, a knack for penning nifty original tunes, and a willingness to put considerable thought into their arrangements, Beoga should go far. Their debut album covers a vast territory, from bluesy riffs to Astor Piazzola-style jazz to a raunchy New Orleans jamboree vibe – but always coming back to a wonderfully bouncy traditional sound.The CD booklet, meanwhile, is one of the most stylish I’ve seen in a long time, but I looked in vain for a design credit – so perhaps that’s just another of Beoga’s many talents.