Niamh Dunne: Portraits

Flying her kite with this solo debut, Beoga's singer and fiddler tests her mettle with songs drawn from traditional and contemporary sources. There's no shortage of thoughtful arrangements, delivered by a stellar supporting cast including Trevor Hutchinson on bass, Caitriona McKay on harp and Cathal Hayden on fiddle. Freshest are Dunne's interpretations of modern pieces, and her reading of Richard Thompson's Strange Affair is suffused with perfectly calibrated pathos. However, some of her repertoire is disappointingly predictable, and Shanagolden buckles under the weight of its own well-worn history. While a certain finesse permeates Portraits, as Dunne's smoky vocals conjures comparison with Danú's Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, a suspicion remains that she's capable of pushing her own boundaries much further than this safe terrain. niamhdunne.com
Download: Strange Affair, Foxy Devil