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NOEL HILL Teacht Aniar  No label ****

It's been 18 years since Noel Hill graced a recording studio, and Teacht Aniar bristles with the freshness of an appetite long-gestating. This is an unapologetically old-fashioned gathering, delivered with a vitality born of a prolonged absence from the front line. Hill has a reputation for elevating the concertina to plains where previously only the pipes resided. Accompaniment from fiddler Liam O'Connor and guitarist Arty McGlynn bestow a depth to the arrangements. The closing set sealed by Devanney's Goat captures the spirited essence of Hill's music, while his crystalline treatment of Boulavogue is a reminder of the value of letting the tune do the talking. Sadly, Steve Cooney's over-zealous guitar accompaniment overwhelms The Ballydesmond set, but Hill's bareboned playing shines with an effervescence that's all his own. www.noelhill.com

Siobhán Long