TRADITIONAL

Gregory Grene reviewed.

GREGORY GRENE

Flipsides

Grab Entertainment

***

Accordionist, singer and composer Gregory Grene, the driving force behind The Prodigals, an Irish-American outfit influenced by The Pogues, unplugs his amps temporarily for this solo outing, with mixed results.

As well as some of the stalwarts of our folk song tradition, such as Dominic Behan's Liverpool Lou, Grene's influences include Cajun and old-time American. The French Acadian of Work's Too Bloody Hardpromises something interesting that somehow gets lost in translation as he swaps it for English for all but the first verse.

Tasty contributions from guitarist John Doyle, Cherish The Ladies' Joanie Madden and piper Cillian Vallely bring texture to the arrangements, and both Crazyand Camerahint at a songwriting strength that Grene's only beginning to tap seriously.

His original tune sets leave less of an impression, although there's an unquestionable live feel to their recording.

[ www.prodigals.com ]

SIOBHÁN LONG