Dónal Clancy – On the Lonesome Plain album review: Echoes with a light touch

Spacious and reflective, Dónal Clancy's latest collection is an amalgam of well-known songs and decidedly English influences (specifically, from the song tradition so closely associated with Martin Carty, Shirley Collins and Anne Briggs), shot through with half a dozen highly impressive instrumentals. Clancy's vocals carry echoes of his father, Liam, but his touch is light and his tone utterly unforced, tracing a very different path from that of his father's (at times) declamatory style. His pair of original compositions (Strike for Victory, a doffing of his cap to the 1916 commemorations, and Máirseáil na Conrach) are subtle and sophisticated in equal part. Clancy's take on Open the Door Softly is a beautifully mellow piece, richly embellished by David Power's whistle and Ciarán Somers's flute, with an almost Ry Cooderesque touch on guitar. Most definitely a collection inviting repeat exposure.