On the right track

Brother and sister Jim (accordion, bodhrán) and Damaris (banjo, mandolin) Woods met up with singer/songwriter/guitarist Gerry Tully after they moved from their native Luton to the Rath Cairn Gaeltacht in County Meath. Their debut album as a group opens on a confident note with an easily paced set of jigs that showcases the light, deft touch of both Woods siblings. Other instrumental tracks are equally effective, with the tempo kept relaxed and the rhythm solid; among them are several fine tunes penned by Damaris and a lovely slow reel by producer Pat McManus, featuring special guest fiddler Liz Doherty. The songs – all originals by Tully – are less successful. ‘What About You’ is so badly mixed that the effect is ruined, while both ‘True Love’ and ‘Sweet Music’ are marred by overly intrusive percussion (which on the latter track is actually out of tune with the melody). Overall, though, there’s plenty of promise here.