Goitse: Tall Tales & Misadventures

Three albums on and Goitse (Donegal Irish for "come here") have cornered the market in scalpel-like rhythms and, on occasion, gloriously spacious set pieces. Having forged a reputation for high-octane live performance, Goitse stretch their compositional skills on Tall Tales & Misadventures, and it pays dividends. The fresh, vigorous arrangements that characterise the set Boodlin suggest musicians who know the value of rooting a tune's rhythms in the authoritative hands of bodhrán player Colm Phelan and pianist Tadhg Ó Meachair, and yet urge the melody line skywards through Áine McGeeney's fiddle lines and James Harvey's banjo. Here Goitse are at their best when they stay below the speed limit, letting the complex instrumentation speak for itself. This is a collection that will spur listeners to seek them out in the live setting. goitse.ie