Latest releases reviewed

VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Independence SuiteCeltic Crossings
****

For those in need of a snapshot of Irish, Scottish and Cape Breton music, this is a timely infusion that's more likely to whet the appetite than sate it. With 15 superb musicians jostling for space, each is afforded a mere tincture of an appearance, but it's enough to send the listener scuttling back to the record shop for more. Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin's and Patrick Ourceau's concertina and fiddle typify the stripped-down, bare-boned mood of the collection, one that reflects faithfully the reality of a session in all its intimate and communal glory. Tommy Peoples's jig set, heralded by the feistily monikered Don't Touch That Green Linnet, is a joy, as are Nova Scotian fiddler Dougie McDonald's jigs. A new year elixir to beat any chemical alternatives. www.celticcrossings.com  Siobhán Long