The latest releases reviewed

The redundancy of county boundaries underpins west Limerick fiddler Diarmuid O'Brien's debut, which thrives on polkas and slides more readily associated with Kerry. Paying homage to the accordion in Limerick's tradition, O'Brien yields too readily to the blow of the bellows, with the fiddle languishing too low in the mix. He enjoys a particularly sympathetic union with box player Dan Brouder; the pair relish the wink and elbow language of delight in a Pádraig O'Keeffe jig. Later he shares a flighty set of reels with Sliabh Notes' accordionist Dónal Murphy. O'Brien too rarely forages for pickings fit for his fiddle, but the reel set, The Game of Love, hints at a musician with plenty of verve (though not enough confidence) to linger in the spotlight on his own. www.diarmuidobrien.com    SIOBHÁN LONG

Download track:Pádraig O'Keeffe

Fluid phrasing and an innate rhythmic sensibility define the music of San Franciscan fiddler Athena Tergis. A Riverdance pro, Tergis has traded tunes with everyone from divine Scots fiddler Alasdair Fraser to Sharon Shannon and Liz Carroll. Traces of Fraser's crystalline style are tangible in the Scots air Bi Falbh O'n Uinneig, which is accorded an almost cinematic treatment with Natalie Haas's cello. Inveterate producer John Doyle lends guitar accompaniment as well, and while the two jostle and jive to some effect on a selection of reels, barndances and strathspeys (soaring high on the Cavan set Johnny Going to Céilí), the grinding insistence of the guitar and the indomitable perkiness of the fiddle wear the eardrums down on repeated exposure. A touch less trickery and Tergis could have bagged herself a masterpiece. www.compassrecords.com

SIOBHÁN LONG

Download track:Johnny McGreevy's