Enda Reilly: Amhráin Nua i nGaeilge

Skirting on the margins of the Dublin music scene is no bad place to be, particularly if you use that time to tease out the finer points of your musical identity. Enda Reilly has previously collaborated with poet Stephen James Smith. Now, with his second solo collection, he's unveiling a raft of his own compositions, mostly, as the title suggests, in Irish. Reilly's style is distinctly middle of the road, but his wide listening interests seep through in intriguing ways. The edgy strings and freewheeling arcs of the instrumental Jive Joni, complete with Keith Jarrett-like over-hums, and the scat vocals on Bealtaine hint at an ear keenly tuned to jazz inflections. Guest vocals from Aoife Scott on Do Mhuirnín Ó broaden the light spectrum further. The only question is why Reilly chose such a pedantic title; the message is so much more than the medium here. endareilly.com