Jack Ingram: "Livin' Or Dyin' "(Rising Tide Records) Dial-a-track code: 1641
This is the kind of album that nestles right up to your heart and says "make room, I'm here to stay". I've been listening to its laconic, earthy Texas bar-room sound for a couple of weeks and the only change I've noticed is that I keep cranking up the volume. Ingram is a fresh-faced Texan with a lived-in voice and a sure touch in selecting material. We're talking Townes Van Zandt, vintage Guy Clark, Jimmie Dale Gil more, Jerry Jeff Walker territory. But Ingram and his Beat-Up Ford Band have a strong sense of their own identity, something that is underlined on this, their second album, by the production team of Ray Kennedy and the redoubtable Steve Earle. The covers, like Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music) carry the same conviction as his own fine songs such as Don't You Remember and Nothing Wrong With That. Recommended.
Mairtin Tom Sheainn: "Blath na hOige" Dial-a-track code: 1751
Nine of Mairtin Tom Sheainin's sean-nos songs on this fourth album are by known composers. Swapping verses on An Cailin Alainn is Scot Helen Flaherty with the Mingalay Boat Song; Peigin's Peadar teams Mairtin with Annamaria Ni Dhonncha. Amhran na mBad thrusts in reserved nasal ripples, Amhran an Bhainin is effortlesly delivered. The archaic lyric style of older material like Noirin Mo Mhian fits the intricacies of the airs best for this singer, yet Boithrin na Smaointe, Amhran Foirnise and Ceili/ na gCailleach suit his range nicely. Guitar and box accompaniment work successfully, and if synthesiser sweetness on Amhran Chamuis is cloying, familiar melodies make the singing style accessible to the uninitiated.
Eliza Carty and the Kings of Calicut (Topic) Dial-a-track code: 1861
If Eliza Carty did not have such illustrious parents would she be still the young darling of the English folk scene? The answer, to judge from this confident, expressive collection, is a very firm yes. Carty quite freely acknowledges the influence of her parents, Martin Carty and Norma Waterson. But she is very much her own woman; she would need to be, to escape unfair comparison. This collection mixes a series of friendly dance tunes with some fine songs. The dances bounce with enthusiasm, showcasing her sure- footed fiddle playing and the general ability of the band, while the songs display the increasing maturity of her voice. There are some abstract excursions, but these are musicians who are faithful to tradition, albeit one which comfortably creates a bridge between the old and the new. Certainly, some of the younger Irish bands may face competition from Albion's shores.
