Daithi, Little Big Tent:
Time for a brand new chapter for traditional music and chances are it will be young bucks like Clare native Daithí Ó Drónaí who will write it.
A lad who wields a mighty violin, Ó Drónaí's innovation revolves around he uses a loop station to lash the bittersweet sound and melancholic tones of that instrument into the midst of top-drawer, thumping beats. Live, this makes for a fascinating, energetic, rollicking show.
The arrival of Elaine Mai onstage adds sultry soulful lines to his tunes, while Aréir, with its spooky Mary O¹Hara vocal lilt, is a a track with breakout appeal. Some trad purists may baulk at where their sound is going in the hands of people like Ó Drónaí, but progression is always better than regression.
Verdict: ***