Colin Farrell: Make A Note | Album Review

Manchester’s traditional music scene is a vibrant melting pot.

Colin Farrell, an award-winning fiddle and whistle player, adds further to the city’s reputation with these original tunes.

Lúnasa’s influence, in all their fluent agility and in their use of fiddle, flute and bass to anchor a set, is palpable throughout these fiery tunes.

Farrell’s fiddle style is surefooted and his whistle lines so beautifully crisp that they meld with, rather than melt beneath, the influence of a raft of guests from Kevin Crawford to Trevor Hutchinson and Michael McGoldrick.

The tunes really shine though, with the pristine ensemble playing mirroring much of the highly polished sounds we’ve come to expect from live traditional bands.

Farrell’s ear for the lonesome note is finely tuned though and begs for a more stripped-back approach next time round.