The latest release reviewed

THE HIGH KINGS
The High Kings Celtic Collections *

The sepia-tinted begorrah-land conjured by The High Kings is every bit as gruesome as their name suggests. Closer in spirit to The Quiet Man than Once or In Bruges, The High Kings' debut bears as close a kinship to contemporary Ireland as Finian's Rainbow does. From its rustic, coastlined sleeve notes to its cartoonish tin whistle and disembodied orchestrations, this is paddywhackery at its worst, aimed at those unfortunate enough to cling valiantly to a misty-eyed picture of the motherland. Everything from The Auld Triangle to Marie's Wedding is utterly disembowelled, and even the presence of Máirtín O'Connor and Nollaig Casey can't rescue what is an excruciating collection. www.thehighkings.com   SIOBHÁN LONG