Harmonic Motion

The second recording by this Dublin-based quartet is a 66-minute tour de force of splendid musicianship – flawless in technique, but never showy. Fiddler/guitarist Daire Bracken deserves a special mention for his graphic work on the CD booklet: it’s one of the best-designed inserts I’ve seen in years. Bracken also wrote quite a bit of the material here, notably a gentle bilingual love song called ‘’Sé Dúirt Sé’ and the unusual waltz ‘Uaine Bheag’, with Aogán Lynch (also a fine singer, as demonstrated on ‘An Bhuatais’) contributing a lovely chordal drone accompaniment on concertina. Other original tracks include bouzouki/mandolin player Mick Broderick’s ‘Brian Kenny’, an inspiring ballad that owes a heavy stylistic debt to Andy Irvine. Completing the lineup is Éamonn de Barra on flute, whistle, bodhrán, harmonium and piano, playing the latter to beautifully liquid effect.