Súgach Sámh - Happy Out
Imeartas Records IMCD002
1. The Limerick Redowa/Going for Water/Oakum's/The Strawberry Tree - redowa waltz, slides; 2. Top It Off/The Glen Road to Carrick/McFadden's Handsome Daughter/The Devil's Ladder - hop jig, reels; 3. Paddy's Lamentation - song; 4. The Bruckless Shore/The Sail-Maker's Wife/Muineira de Pontesampaio - jigs, muineira; 5. Lonesome Eyes - air; 6. Cailleach An Airgid - song; 7. The Belles of South Boston/The Rights of Man/The Moonlight Clog - hornpipes, schottiche; 8. Fonn do Eithne/The Fairy Step - air, slip jigs; 9. Niamh's Joy/An Buchaill Dreoite/The Coleraine - reel, jigs; 10. Sé Fáth Mo Bhurta - song; 11. Knocknaboul/ Tom Barrett's/Sonny Riordan's - Polkas; 12. Bruach Na Carraige Báine - air; 13. The Iron Man/The First Century Reel - strathspey, reel.
Readers may recall that when I reviewed Niamh Ní Charra's first CD, Ón Dá Thaobh - From Both Sides, back in 2007, I was a little wary about a young fidder who'd spent 8 years playing in the Riverdance band. As it turned out, my prejudice was quite unwarrented - it was a lovely record, and I was particularly delighted by her terrific concertina playing. Now CD No.2 comes along, and already I'm worried again! So many times I've waxed enthusiastic about a young performer's first record, only to be bitterly disappointed by their second. Happily, this is not the case here!
Indeed, I like this present release even more that I did the previous one. The concertina playing is equally good, and the fiddling is rather more to my taste. As a bonus we get three songs here, where there were none on From Both Sides. Niamh is a good singer, in a quiet, delicate manner. This is not usually the sort of singing I like but, somehow, I find her version of it to be very effective. She manages to communicate her emotions without any too-obvious ploys. See what you think; here's the start of Paddy's Lamentation (sound clip).
In the previous review I concentrated on Niamh's concertina playing, so let's hear some of her fiddling this time; here's a great jig called The Bruckless Shore (aka, Arthur Darley's), though I'm sure I know it by yet another name (sound clip).
The booklet is fairly slight, but tells us much of what we need to know about the tunes and songs, and displays a little of Niamh's self-deprecating sense of humour. It's also nice to see that the earlier 'glamour girl' photos have been replaced by ones showing simply a nice looking young woman. And I;m afraid that I can't let you go without a little bit of that lovely concertina; here with the delightful Limerick Redowa/Going for Water from track 1 (sound clip).
As before, this most enjoyable CD is available from Copperplate, in the UK.
Rod Stradling - 8.12.10
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