Edel Fox & Neill Byrne: The Sunny Banks

Invigorating well worn tunes with an energy all of their own making must surely be the holy grail for most traditional musicians. Clare concertina player Edel Fox and Waterford fiddler Neill Byrne do this instinctively on this rounded and generous collection. The hop, skip and jump of their reading of the well-known barndance Kitty O'Neill's and the lonesome pitch of the Scottish retreat march Lochanside reveal the breadth of this duo's musical palette. Caoimhín Ó Fearghail's accompaniment on guitar and bouzouki has a lissom quality that underscores but never upstages Fox and Byrne. The pair's restrained, plaintive reading of the lullaby Seothín Seothó is a delight, revealing both players' sharply disciplined approach, imposing nothing more than refined lines to the tunes and letting them tell their own tale. One of this year's musical highlights. edelfox.com

Download: Seothín Seothó ; Kitty O'Neill's