The Whileaways: From What We’re Made – Voices worth hearing

Three albums on and The Whileaways are very comfortable in their own skin. This Galway-based trio of Noriana Kennedy, Noelie McDonnell and Nicola Joyce have been carving a career path peppered with roots, bluegrass and Americana influences for the past six years or so, and this collection bears testimony to that road well travelled.

Their calling cards are here in abundance: close-knit harmonies, low-key arrangements and a wide-horizon in their lyrical sweep. Third album in, there’s a greater depth to their chosen subject matter with the vicissitudes of life supplying the backbone to a full-bodied collection of original songs.

All three share the lead vocals role, with a breadth and depth mined by each voice in turn. Noriana Kennedy’s vocals are still a knockout: translucent and tenacious in equal measure.

Tasty string arrangements buoy the Gillian Welch-like Spare Me From The Heartache, but the delicious playfulness of Roll Down Your Window is a reminder of how

The Whileaways can rip it up on the dancefloor with the best of them. A tad more fun like this would have lightened From What We're Made.