Bryan O’Leary: Tranquility in Tureencahill review – Gloriously fleet-footed solo debut

Inheritance can be a blessing or a curse, and sometimes both at once. Sliabh Luachra has been the cradle of life-affirming polkas and slides for generations, and Bryan O’Leary embodies its essence with an ease that comes from a life lived in the belly of that glorious beast.

The former TG4 Young Traditional Musician of the Year (2014) has allowed the unexpected space imposed by the pandemic to breathe life into a mighty gabháil of self-composed tunes on this EP, each one rooted in its place. He’s possessed of a fine rhythmic sensibility married with an ear for soaring melodies that would surely please his late grandfather, renowned Sliabh Luachra accordion player and composer JohnnyO’Leary.

Bryan O'Leary's polkas and slides rise with a quiet confidence and, for the most part, need little more than the subtlest of accompaniment on bouzouki from Brian Mooney.

Spurred by a commission from RTÉ Radio 1’s Aoife Nic Cormaic in 2020, O’Leary’s 17 tunes reference people and place with an unforced affection and timelessness that suggests they’ll be wending their way into sessions as soon as we all re-emerge from isolation.

A gloriously fleet-footed solo debut.

[ sliabhluachra.bandcamp.com ]