At first glance I thought this was Blackthorn, a Philadelphia-based Irish band I've heard a few times over the years. But no, Blackthorn Band is from southern England, and on The River That Runs Below they serve up some fine Anglo-Irish music.

Blackthorn Band is, on this recording, Philippe Barnes on flute, guitar and whistle, Sarah Mooney on flute and guitar, Alex Percy on fiddle and guitar, Mannie McClelland on Anglo concertina and bodhran, and Fergus McClelland on vocals, bouzouki, mandolin, banjo and fiddle.

The tune sets are strong and lively, nicely arranged and performed. Fergus handles the singing on several tracks, and his voice and style put me in mind of Martin Carthy. (That's not a bad thing.) "Johnny Sands," the second track, is my favorite song on the album; it's a twist on "Tippin' It Up to Nancy," and although some of the particulars are different, the plotting wife still ends up in the river.

This is the sort of album that fits nicely in any music lover's collection. It's neither better nor worse than a lot of similar recordings on the market, but it's good, solid and perfectly enjoyable.

I checked their website; Blackthorn Band is still performing a dozen years later, although only the McClellands and Mooney remain from that lineup. Barnes and Percy have been replaced by Jacquelyn Hynes on whistle, flute and saxophone. They promote themselves primarily as a ceilidh band for dances, weddings and corporate functions.

[ visit the Blackthorn Band online ]