Different State

Box player Paudie O'Connor has been well steeped in the Sliabh Luachra tradition of his native County Kerry, and his superb technical ability is brilliantly showcased by this impressive debut CD. Many of the tunes here are played solo, further highlighting the precision of O'Connor's playing; where there's backing (courtesy of Paul De Grae on guitar), it's subtle and spare. Flute player Joe O'Sullivan and fiddler Noeleen O'Connor (Paudie's sister) lend a hand on the Kerry slides that close the album, while fiddler Aoife Ní Chaoimh graces a lively set of reels. Additional variety is supplied by O'Connor's use of old-style, more tremolo-heavy Hohner accordions on two tracks – the aforementioned reels and the lovely slow air 'Aisling Gheal'.