In the Parting

Cup O'Joe are the three Agnew siblings from County Armagh who have been making waves on the live circuit since losing out to Talisk at the 2015 Radio 2 Young Folk Awards. The bluegrass-soaked In the Parting marks their first full-length album with nine self-penned songs and the instrumental title-track, which is a vivacious traditional cover.

The trio, all now in their mid-20s – Benjamin (bass), Reuben (guitar) and Tabitha (guitar and five-string banjo) – share technical agiliTh and vocals in a compact but lightly concentrated set full of variety and brimming with quiet pleasures. Principal among them are Tabitha's smooth, soothing vocals (achingly plaintive in the gorgeous ‘Till I Met You’) and tangy, perfectly pitched banjo playing throughout. The countryaccented ‘The Waiting Game’ boasts sprightly interplay between banjo and Niall Murphy's dancing fiddle and David Benedict's crisp mandolin, both of whom lend the instrumental ‘Pinley Green’ an infectious free-wheeling vitality. There's a dash of jazz in ‘Run Run’, lit up again by Tabitha's vocals, with cosseting close harmonies by Eilidh Patterson deftly abetted by Dave Molloy's electric guitar and Glenn Chambers’ percussion. Swing-laced album closer ‘Can't Sleep Without Caffeine’ is joyfully sophisticated in its knowing, nodding playfulness. Keep your eyes on this family outfit – great things are in the offing.