Four Star Trio: Magnetic South

Four Star Trio's second CD comes just 17 years after their 1997 debut, The Square Triangle. Here, as the album's title suggests, Con Fada Ó Drisceoil, Johnny McCarthy and Pat "Herring" Ahern glory in the polkas and slides of Sliabh Luachra; but they contribute a swathe of songs and tunes of their own making too. McCarthy's closing reel, The Setting Sun, is a lesson in living in the moment, while his reading of Bruach na Carraige Báine breathes fresh life into a standard. Con Fada's customary wit is on display in The Pope's Toe and Nuair A Bhuaileas, though his love of word play works less well in the clinical confines of a studio than in a session. Four Star Trio marry thoughtful arrangements with an untrammelled love of the tunes, and this collection oozes the energy of a live session. facebook.com/fourstartrio.