No place like home

Best known for his work with the band Four Men & A Dog, Gerry O'Connor hails from Garrykennedy, just outside Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. For his third solo album he’s returned to his musical roots, opening with a couple of reels learned in sessions at the Barge Inn in his native village. No Place Like Home is less experimental and more traditionally focused than O’Connor’s previous solo outings, which isn’t at all to say conventional: this mischievous conjurer of the banjo couldn’t play a tune straight if his life depended on it. Still, amid all the bluegrass inflections and playful digressions from the tunes (which include three superb original ones), there’s a wonderfully comfortable, laid-back feel. Brendan O’Regan supplies excellent backing on bouzouki, while further able assistance is offered by Tommy Hayes on bodhrán and Damien Evans on bass. But for the most part the accompaniment is nicely spare; it’s O’Connor’s sparkling banjo (plus the odd bit of fiddle) that takes its rightful place in the spotlight.