Spartan clarity defines this debut solo album from a Down-born, Cork-based fiddler. This is music for the wee small hours when, as Seamus Sands says himself in the sleeve notes, there is nothing but the accompaniment of fiddle shadows on the wall. Tune choices are broad and deep, with his distinctive, languorous bowing style rendering the often neglected underbelly of some tunes anew. A luthier himself, and playing a fiddle of his own making, Sands mines a bittersweet tone, with an emphasis on the melody line. The resulting unhurried pace is a pleasure that unfurls with each return visit. In this stately ease, Sands breathes fresh life into a rich selection of reels, barndances and hornpipes. His reading of Anach Cuain is particularly affecting. seamussands.com