Andy Irvine with Rens van der Zalm: Parachilna

Renewable energy powers the music of Andy Irvine. He's always in hot pursuit of new perspectives, and his more recent live performances have been invigorated by collaborations with Liam Ó Floinn, Paddy Glackin and Dónal Lunny. Parachilna is a horse of an altogether wilder disposition. Saddling up with fellow Mozaik member Rens van der Zalm on fiddle, guitar, mandolin and viola, Irvine embarks on an Outback adventure in south Australia. It's a mix of Aussie and Irish songs, recorded organically with voice, harmonica and strings to the fore. The only pity is that there aren't more Australian numbers, but Irvine's own composition, Douglas Mawson (recalling the Antarctic explorer's fateful expedition), is a reminder of how much at home he is in the Antipodes. A fine if fleeting snapshot of a musician ever in pursuit of the story and the song. andyirvine.com