Utilizing a few old favorites and presenting some of her own compositions Eliza M. Welch shows off a lovely voice, accompanying herself on the piano, keyboard, octofone and mandolin, on The Wheel.

Welch's own songs are well written, enjoyable and a bit different in tone, with perhaps a kind of slightly new-age mysticism. They show a different sensibility than the traditional choices (which are the pining-for-love and the celebration-of-drink-and-revelry varieties that make up so much of the traditional repertoire).

Welch's arrangement of Yeats' "Down by the Sally Garden" is lovely and suits the poem wonderfully; her pensive voice has overtones of heartache and loss. Her a cappella arrangement of "Heel & Toe," with its sprightly melody and vocal harmonies, is wonderfully evocative of the Merry Men of Robin Hood and the pleasures of spring and new growth at a time when peoples' lives were so intimately tied to the natural world. (And the comic little hidden track at the end of the CD that refers back to it is charming.)

In songs like "Eileen Aroon," Welch's voice shows a kind of strength and depth that wraps itself around the words and blends with the piano and the subtle mournful sounds of back-up fiddle.

Welch's best song-writing happens when she forgets to take herself so seriously. The light-heartedness and limpid notes of "The Process" suit Welch's sweet strong voice, and the thoughtful lyrics have depth and understanding. The same sensibility infuses the catchy tune and intertwined fire-and-light metaphors of Imbolc with a glimpse of Celtic mist and mysticism. "Sand Dollars," with simple mandolin accompaniment and a chorus that sticks in your head, contrasts the complexities of everyday life with the simple integrity of natural things, and reminds us how even those things can be captured and made into something else.

The CD starts off a bit weakly, with the two pieces that I liked least in the collection opening the CD. The first, "The Singer Songwriter," is one of those songs about writing songs that songwriters like to make (just like other writers write about the act of writing), not realizing that they are far less interesting to others than they are to the writer. "Never a Moment's Thought" talks about the temptation to sell out to commercialism. However the music in both cases is enough to carry the selection.

A couple of the traditional songs -- "Fiddler's Green" and "Wild Rover" -- are not, to my mind at least, meant to be sung quite so seriously, and thus lose a little bit of their spontaneity and "folksiness." But Welch does them well and other people may not mind this at all.

The CD bears repeated listening. It's a good CD for a quiet night home alone with the light of a candle, or to share with friends while conversation swirls and hums.