Ulaid

Proof that virtuosity isn’t all about ego, volume and speed comes in the form of this appealingly relaxed debut from a powerhouse trio: fiddler Dónal O’Connor, uilleann piper John McSherry and guitarist Seán Óg Graham. With all three now resident in County Antrim, the trio takes its name from the ancient progenitors of the province of Ulster. Musically, however, they journey further afield here – to Sweden, Austria and Brittany. It's from there that the sweetly nostalgic ‘The Return to Madagascar’ and lilting sleepiness of ‘Lights Out at Five’ hail, while the evocative Swedish-sourced ‘Polska Polka’ discretely disguises its double-time signature. Closer to home, there's the lively border-crossing jig ‘If Ever I Marry’, a brisk, Belfast commentary on the Cavan-based ‘Thady Casey's’ and in ‘The Ramblers’ a freewheeling quartet of reels and tunes that criss-crosses Ireland north and south with fleet agility.

Something special is delivered in quietly virtuosic playing throughout a laidback recital marked by jazz-like spontaneity. With O’Connor and McSherry already being innovative co-intimates in At First Light, the addition of Graham's acoustic and electric guitars and button accordion adds a glorious sheen all of its own.