Réalta - Clear Skies: duelling pipes and plaintive vocals make a winning sound

We’ve made our acquaintance with duelling banjos, but duelling pipes are a rarity in any setting, and particularly within the confines of a five-piece band.

Réalta’s second album reveals occasional snapshots of brilliance, propelled by an appetite for unlikely tune pairings and a keen ear cocked to the propulsive power of rhythm.

They choose some big tunes (Úr-Chnoc Chéin Mhic Cáinte and Tabhair Dom do Lámh) to flex their collective muscles , but it's Deirdre Galway's plaintive vocals, swaddled by pipes and flute on Kellswater, that leave a lasting impression.

It’s challenging for any ensemble to mine fresh territory in a crowded space, but Réalta, under the watchful eye of producer Dónal O’Connor, and with some highly disciplined arrangements, do just that.

[ realtamusic.com ]