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CIARÁN Ó MAONAIGH AND AIDAN O'DONNELL
Fídíl
Claddagh Records
****
This spirit-shocking collection is a visceral, high-octane and occasionally dissonant gathering of 15 tunes, ãll from Donegal bar one (the Blasket Island classic Port na bPúcaí). Ó Maonaigh and O'Donnell's vigorous approach to the music is refreshingly free of preciousness, yet retains the essence of the tunes' provenance. Their seamlessness as a duo is thrown into sharp focus on a puzzlingly titled pair of barndances, If There Weren't Any Women in the World- the nip and tuck of The Long Germanperfectly complementing the high spirits of Francie Mooney's German. Their choice of Con Cassidy's version of The Dogs Among the Bushesreel is revelatory, a showstopping, cap-doffing tribute to a musician whose finesse is well borne onwards by these two young turks.  www.claddaghrecords.com SIOBHÁN LONG
Download track: Tuaim Na Farraige