Aisling Yoshua/Joshua's Dream Óg Music****

In a world where the good, the bad and Pro Tools reign supreme, it's tempting for musicians to douse their recordings with all manner of electronic embellishments, smoothing rough edges and easing their passage into the ether. Often the result is an aural morphine that does little to engage the listener. Connemara box player Johnny Óg Connolly's solo debut is a collection bereft of such illusory adornment. His personal style is clean cut and precision- engineered, with traces of Máirtín O'Connor audible in its filaments. Connolly follows an arc all of his own, with suitably minimalist accompaniment from Garry Ó Briain and others, including his father Johnny, the renowned melodeon player. Connolly's five original compositions add something special to the traditional canon, particularly the title track and the waltz April in Florence. No bells, no whistles; this is music that celebrates the best of live performance – and bottles it. See johnnyogconnolly.com