This weeks Traditional CDs reviewed

DEIRDRE SCANLAN
Faces Claddagh Records***

West Limerick singer Deirdre Scanlan's debut treads softly across a repertoire that links some of the bigger songs of the tradition ( Seán Ó Duibhir A Ghleanna) with more recent material (Thom Moore's The Scholar and The Legend, a Nelson Mandela tribute). Some thoughtful arrangements, under the watchful ear of producer and guitarist Jim Murray, set Scanlan's collection apart, particularly the spare contributions from Capercaille's Mike McGoldrick on flute and low whistle, as well as delicate accordion accompaniment from Derek Hickey. Scanlan's diction bears a distant kinship to that of Dolores Keane, but at times an overweaning sentiment threatens an otherwise solid, uncompromising voice, particularly on the piano- laden Long Long Before Your Time. A debut full of promise. www.claddaghrecords.com

Download tracks: Faces of Friends, My Cavan Girl

NEILL LYONS
Skins & Sins Claddagh Records***
Neill Lyons plays the bodhrán with an ear for both precision and subtlety, which gives lie to that infamous Seamus Ennis declaration that the only way to play the instrument was with a penknife. Lyon won the inaugural World Bodhrán Championship in 2006, and his touch is light but intensely focused. He wisely seeks out some expert company, showcasing his instrument but never at the expense of the music. Leonard Barry's pipes play a prominent role, their disciplined sound further bolstered by the fluid bodhrán playing. In fact, Lyons lures a richness from his instrument that celebrates both the rhythmic potential and the light and shade that its multi-toned goatskin can conjure. Even his self-composed Solo tiptoes rather than bludgeons its way into the subconscious. An impressively subtle debut. www.claddaghrecords.com SIOBHÁN LONG
Download tracks: Courtown Harbour, Connie the Soldier