Latest releases reviewed.

JOHNNY CONNOLLY
An Mileoidean Scaoilte Cló Iar Chonnachta
****

Johnny Connolly plays with a gentility and finesse that suggests his role is that of a caresser of the melodeon, rather than its king, as his nickname suggests. The bare-fingered sound of the button press, the steady rhythm beloved of the Connemara set dancers, the sheer delight in the tunes are all tangible across the fulsome gathering of waltzes, hornpipes and jigs on An Mileoidean Scaoilte. You can almost touch the desolate resignation of Amhrán na Trá Báine; its sean nós origins undeniable, but Connolly's melodeon inhabits its grief with as much if not more emotional intensity than any singer could muster. Charlie Lennon lends subtle accompaniment on piano and fiddle. A gorgeous, uninhibited snapshot of a player whose soul is still locked inside the music. www.cic.ie Siobhán Long

CÓR BAN CHÚIL AODHA
Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire Gael Linn
***

First things first: this is a precocious CD. It is demanding, obstreporous, at times histrionic, and intermittently inaccessible. Reinventing the renowned Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire, a lament penned by Eileen Dubh Ní Chonaill on the occasion of the murder of her beloved husband, Airt Uí Laoghaire in 1773, demands that one treads either very lightly or very sprightly. Ó Riada has opted for the latter, melding Irish traditional and European classical music styles to capture the drama of a legendary tragedy. His audacious spirit permeates the gathering, but at times it's akin to listening to John Cage: the sheer physical effort is repaid only after repeated, diligent exposures. Possibly more accessible if heard in live performance first. Still, a welcome challenge to both eardrums and cerebrum. Siobhán Long