Now & Then is arguably the most comprehensively-packaged release ever bestowed on an Irish artist. It serves as a worthy reminder of the extraordinary breadth of Sharon Shannon’s talent, and her willingness to engage with musicians from across the musical spectrum – from Adam Clayton, Christy Moore and The Scratch, to reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, and the late Kirsty MacColl and John Prine.

This remarkable box-set includes no less than a dozen CD albums, from her remastered eponymous debut – a triumph, if you remember – to her latest outing, titled simply Now. The latter also comes in a red vinyl incarnation, as does her 1991 debut; plus there’s a silver vinyl 7” of ‘Galway Girl’ with Mundy (twice). Another impressive artifact in the package is a hard-cover photo album spanning Shannon’s life, although references to her involvement with the ‘Woman’s Heart’ project are conspicuously absent.

Shannon’s willingness to play outside the box (oops!) was evident on her second album, the reggae-influenced Out The Gap (1994), produced by Denis Bovell; and again on The Diamond Mountain Sessions (2000), which featured collaborations with Jackson Browne, Hothouse Flowers, John Prine and Carlos Nunez, among others, and went triple platinum. It still sounds great.

On the mainly instrumental Now, Sharon effortlessly engages with Dublin trad-metallers The Scratch on the exhilarating ‘The Diddley Doo’. Its non-trad guitar sounds deserve special attention, and the vocals will put the humour on you before you engage the repeat button. It’s a very fine track indeed.

The distorted guitar shows up again on the rock-trad ‘Jack Of Hearts’, while Barack Obama (yes, that one!) makes a guest appearance on ‘Greenroots’, under a heavy riffing guitar/accordion workout. It’s another musical gem for the ages.

Shannon herself takes full control on ‘Jigatha Christie/Pasucais Of Coana’ (the latter a re-thread from her Tunes album), and it and ‘Duo In G’ should calm the trad police. The album includes sparkling contributions from musicians who habitually take music to a higher level, including Steve Wickham, Trevor Hutchinson, Jim Murray and more. Linked with recent efforts from ØXN, The Scratch and Lankum, Now is another indication that Irish folk is entering a new, exciting phase, with Shannon in the thick of it.

Overall, a truly extraordinary collection.

9/10

The limited edition Now & Then box set is available to purchase here.