Altan: "Blackwater"

Virgin, CDV2796, 40 mins.

Dial-a-track code: 1861

Blackwater marks an auspicious opening to Altan's second decade, consolidating their position as the preeminent band of the 1980s and 1990s. Digging ever deeper into the rich seam of Donegal sourced music, they also excel in the contemporary harmonic idioms of vocal and instrumental arrangement.

Their impressive first division line up of Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Ciaran Tourish, Dermot Byrne, Mark Kelly, Ciaran Curran, and Daithi Sproule augmented here by players like Donal Lunny, Steve Cooney, Jim Higgins and Brendan Power, and on backing vocals Triona and Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill. All this super abundance is further enhanced by the acoustic genius of Brian Masterson, making Blackwater simply one of the best albums of contemporary traditional music to be released in recent years.

The five songs and seven instrumental tracks are masterful in their reworking of traditional material. The final track, Tune for Frankie, written by Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, is a slow, reflective piece which interrogates a jig melody through a finely judged sequence of key modulations exploring the lineaments of jig rhythm as it proceeds. The title track, Blackwaterside, a sombre song of betrayed love from a woman's perspective is beautifully evoked by Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh on vocals and by a dark moody underlay of string quartet arranged by Fiachra Trench.

Molly na gCuach ni Chuilleanin chugs along on an inspired bottom line of bassy vocals, bass guitar, percussion and mean harmonica stabs, insinuating itself into the consciousness through beguiling repetitions of "Is fada uaim i, uaim i."

Elsewhere the Strathspey/Con McGinley's/The Newfoundland and An Gasur Mor/Bunker Hill/ Dogs Among the Bushes, feature the remarkable rapport which has developed between Dermot Byrne's accordion playing and the combined fiddle power of Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh and Ciaran Tourish.

Charlie Piggott, Miriam Collins and Joe Corcoran: "The Lonely Recorded Stranded Band"

Clo lar Chonnachta, CICD 116. 45 mins.

Dial-a-track code: 1971

The eponymous band features the legendary Charlie Piggott on melodeon, Clare born Miriam Collins on concertina, and Joe Corcoran on vocals, bouzouki and guitar. The three are well matched in their obvious commitment to the Clare/Galway style, which is typified by an unhurried elegance and a captivating, uplifting swing. The tunes are sourced from the playing of players like Paddy Murphy, Mrs. Crotty and Martin Fahy, Vincent Broderick, Micho Russell and other exemplars of regional style.

The first set of jigs, The Fair Headed Boy/ Scatter The Mud, is a gem of light fingered, dainty playing, punctuated throughout by the occasional growl from a sparely applied left hand. The Girl of the Golden Tresses/ The Stranger, a set of horn pipes, are tenderly articulated, with great care taken to ensure that the melody and rhythm implicit in the tunes ar& allowed the necessary oxygen. Ahha an tSulin/ The Sailor's Cravat/ Lady Gordon is a successful pairing of a slow air, skillfully executed by Miriam Collins with two reels.

Of the songs sung by Joe Corcoran, The Wind That Shakes The Barley stands out as a fine resonant version, and on The Rocks of Bawn, he opts for "a briskly paced, rhythmic rendering which comes as a refreshing contrast to the non metric version often favoured by singers.Sean Keane: "Turn A Phrase"

INDCD 001. 46 mins

Dial-a-track code: 2081

This second album from singer Sean Keane features a disparate mix of material, from contemporary ballad to traditional songs from the Keane family repertoire. A very fine unaccompanied singer, Sean Keane disappointingly sings one unaccompanied song on the album, an expressive version of A Stor Mo Chroi, which only serves to whet the appetite for more.

With a back up of supporting musicians like Arty McGlynn, Nollaig Ni Chathasaigh, Mairtin O'Connor and others, it was perhaps hard to resist the temptations of accompaniment, but still ... Of the accompanied songs, Mike Hanly's The Writing on the Wall is by far the best - heart breaking lyrics set against gentle piano, fiddle and guitar, tenderly rendered by Keane.