This week's releases reviewed

GUIDEWIRES Live Claddagh ****

There are many remarkable things about this debut. A cacophony of sound melded with such vivacity and joie de vivrethat it leapfrogs into the ether without even a whiff of a by-your-leave, Guidewires' debut rips up the rulebook and tosses it in the air. Only the foolhardy or the truly audacious would release a live recording as a debut, but Guidewires (Pádraig Rynne, Tóla Custy, Paul McSherry, Karol Lynch and Breton Sylvain Barou on flute and low whistles) jettison the safety net of the studio in favour of the vim of their live performance. A torrent of Guidewires' original tunes rages through a rich traditional foundation (and some lovely reminders of Dónal Lunny's compositional genius), rip-curling their way into the air faster than most mortals can draw breath. A spectacular, multicoloured debut. www.guidewiresmusic.com SIOBHÁN LONG

Download tracks: Hoodwinked, Vicki's World

SÉAMUS Ó RÓCHÁIN An Buachaill Dreoite Oidhreacht An Chláir ****

Clare piper Séamus Ó Rócháin brings a cool head and dextrous touch to his solo debut. Fiddler Joe Ryan released a classic album of the same name in 1995, but here Ó Rócháin's repertoire encompasses the music of Seamus Ennis and Willie Clancy, as well as borrowings from Francie McPeake. His decision to include The Concert Reel, a tune not usually associated with the pipes, underscores Ó Rócháin's instinctive feel for the instrument and its potential. With sleeve notes that revel in the miracle of ambidexterity (his pipes were swapped from a left- to a right-handed set to suit the present player's preference), this is a tasty exploration of the seed, breed and generation of tunes long embossed in Ó Rócháin's subconscious. www.oac.ie SIOBHÁN LONG