Rua, who caught my eye with an evocative cover and held my attention with gorgeous music, is back with a sophmore release, Dream-Teller, on the Celtic Collections label. The two women who are Rua, Liz Madden and Gloria Mulhall, have done it again, and in a similar vein as their previous, self-titled CD.

The diaphonous garb of the previous album cover is gone, replaced by the crossed-arms style of creamy-skinned toplessness so popular among models (and the men who love them) today. The music is also similar -- lushly orchestrated Celtic songs, all polished to perfection. There are a few Irish standards, such as Jimmy McCarthy's "Ride On," given a more sultry reading than I've heard for it before, and traditionals "Black is the Colour" and "Carrickfergus," sung here in both English and Gaelic. There are also several Rua originals, gentle, poetic songs including "A Gentle Touch," "Tender," "Sails of Gold" and "Suan."

I would have to hear how this band would handle a real mug-thumper of a pub song, but Rua shies away from anything too boisterous. However, they do an excellent job with two very atypical selections, the French romance "Le Marais" and the joyful "Klezmer," both of which are also original pieces.

But my favorite selection is a poem, not a song. Actor Gabriel Byrne supplies the narration on "I am of Ireland," a dramatic piece by W.B. Yeats, which leads directly into Mulhall's gorgeous instrumental "Dream-Teller."

Rua does not provide "traditional" Irish music, so purists should give this a miss. But anyone who likes a graceful, elegant sound will treasure this music for a long, long time.