The Tinker's Dream

Although The Tinker's Dream is ostensibly a solo album, it sounds very much the product of a group. Chris Murphy, an American fiddler who is highly accomplished in a number of traditional styles, has put together a crack ensemble, with all parts cleverly arranged and executed, and every member is given a chance to shine. It's a very good example of what it is, a self-described ‘Celtic rock record’ showcasing a group that would go down well at festivals. But it might sound a little too easy-listening for fans of ‘pure drop’ Irish music. ‘Connemara Ponies’ doesn't have much to do with Connemara to my ears, sounding more like a contemporary Scottish reel, with fiddle shuffling marked by a Bo Diddley emphasis. The jig that is the title-track is more traditional sounding, giving the uilleann pipes (from Patrick D'Arcy) more of a feature. You might compare it to The Chieftains in terms of instrumentation and outlook, although The Chieftains always sounded a little more stately than this.

‘The Thistlewood Bridge’ is the most traditional-sounding track here, pitched somewhere between an Irish polka and a bluegrass reel and shows how effective the group can be when they play it straight. ‘The Tower’ has more poise, with a melancholy streak and is moodier, more stripped down: the occasional sour note gives it strength. Murphy's fiddle is at the forefront here: perhaps on his next album, he could push himself even more to the fore and let us hear his violin in a more unadulterated state.