Album Review: Aisling Lyons — 'Aistear'

As an eight-time All Ireland champion, Aisling Lyons’ reputation precedes her. She is one of the finest harpists in Ireland and on this record, she flexes her composition muscles.

Aistear is an ode to the elegance of the harp and the piercing beauty of the concertina as Lyons plays some of her favourite tunes along with plenty of her own compositions.

The album opens with the lapping of waves before an ethereal harp takes over with a set of hop jigs. The crispness of each note accentuates the melody and Lyons shows her deft hand here with crystal clear triplets. The bass notes she adds in also inject some tension to the track. The first tune ‘One the Edge’ then transitions to ‘Martha’s Hop Jig’ featuring a joyous melody.

A set of hornpipes and reels follows, starting with ‘Buster’s Dreams' inspired by Lyons' dog. It’s a lovely composition that see-saws between light and shade as Buster drifts between nightmares and dreams. Lyons then launches into ‘Pig Town’ and then ‘The West Clare Reel’ before she gives her take on Jeremy Kittel’s ‘The Boxing Reel.’ It’s a notoriously difficult tune, but Lyons plays it with aplomb.

‘Tune for Dad' is next and it begins with the birds singing. The multi-instrumentalist then delves into the classically influenced piece dedicated to her late father. It’s an uplifting track despite its tragic inspiration and features some plucky guitar accompaniment that works in harmonic tandem with Lyons' harp playing.

A set of waltzes featuring tunes written by Turlough O’Carolan and Kevin Jones is one of the highlights of this record. On the first tune ‘Cremonea,’ Lyons shows why Turlough O’Carolan is still celebrated today. She brings the haunting melody to life with her effective use of dynamics. ‘Itchy Fingers’ by Kevin Jones follows and sees a bodhrán enter the fray as Lyons bounces through the tricky composition.

One of the tracks features a set of jigs all written by Lyons. ‘With You in Withby’ kicks things off with a lilting, swinging piece which features some impressive runs from the musician. The tone changes and becomes more ominous as the track develops into the second tune ‘Room 2.40.’ The crown jewel of this number is 'Être Fleur Bleue' which has some entrancing descending passages.

Lyons plays a set of polkas and marches and delivers one of the stand out tracks from the record. As a former céilí band drummer, she knows how to command the rhythm of a march and embellishes the phrases with ornate grace notes. A concertina is added into the mix as she progresses into polkas along with a fiddle to add some depth to the tune. The concertina here and on ‘Through the Roof’ in this set is excellent and shows Lyons' ability on the reed instrument.

‘Buíochas’ — Aistear's lead single — is the penultimate track on the album. Lyons shows her penchant for penning airs full of life that benefit from the lack of rhythmic structure. Many airs get lost without the restrictions of time signature and tempo but here Lyons uses the lack of direction to take the listener on a journey full of spellbinding melodies.

Aistear beautifully melds what Lyons likes along with her creative streak. The performance on each track is flawless and makes this a standout record. What really sets this album apart is Lyons’ ability as a composer. She beautifully combines the light with the dark in her melodies which makes for some compelling storytelling — without the need for words. This record is testament to Lyons’ position as one of traditional music’s finest musicians.

Rating: 9/10

Listen: ‘Waltzes: Cremonea / Itchy Fingers’

Buy the album on Bandcamp here.

Listen to 'Buíochas' below.