Anyone who has been lucky enough to catch Clandestine live in recent months has been treated to a preview of the band's third album, To Anybody at All. The much-anticipated recording does not disappoint.

(The new album's release follows on the heels of Clandestine being named the best traditional/ethnic band and lead singer Jennifer Hamel receiving the best female vocalist award based on a readers' poll by the Houston Press.)

The band's instrumental tracks are, if anything, tighter than ever. The spotlight shines usually on E.J. Jones, who demonstrates his prowess with the Highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, flute and low whistle, and Gregory McQueen, who has equal talent on the acoustic and electric fiddles. Hamel plays a strong rhythm guitar to fill out the sound, and Emily Dugas has further honed her percussion skills to keep the band rockin'.

The album begins with a lively, pipe-heavy set, "The Bush Reels," beginning with "The Bush Reel" and running rapidly through "The Humours of Tulla," "Cape Breton Fiddler's Welcome to the Shetland Isles," "Cape Breton Symphony" and "The Scots Aire Hornpipe." Jones scarcely pauses for breath for the duration.

But, lest listeners get the wrong impression that this is solely a piper's band, the album flows quickly into "Black Eyed Susan," a slow and lovely fiddle tune giving McQueen his due. Then Jones matches his whistle against McQueen's fiddle for "The Telfer Jigs," beginning with a McQueen original, "Matt Telfer's Jig." Jones switches back to the pipes in time for the traditional "The Hag at the Churn," "Jerry's Pipe Tune" and "Troy's Wedding," but as usual, the musicians do a phenomenal job of balancing their sound, never allowing the pipes to drown out the other instruments.

That balance is even better demonstrated in the slow, lyrical "Waltzes," which blends fiddle and pipes into a perfect complement. Next up, Jones proves that his talents extend to composition as well. He runs through the trio of original tunes ("The Tidy Cottage," "The Touch of Green" and "Ithaca") on whistle, flute and pipes, and I suspect it won't be long before other bands begin covering his work.

Hamel adds a touch of Spanish guitar to "Glass of Beer," which kicks off the lively set "Back to Chico." The final instrumental track, "The New Reels," gives Dugas the spotlight for an intricate percussion opener before the rest of the band jumps in for one last, breathless medley.

Clandestine is an incredibly strong instrumental band, and yet the band has probably most identified with the sound of Hamel's voice. And deservedly so -- she has a rare gift, matching gorgeous tonal qualities with a powerful pair of lungs. When she sings, people listen.

Although Hamel was the sole vocalist on the band's first album, The Ale is Dear, she was joined by Dugas on the second, The Haunting, for some excellent vocal harmonies. They make even more use of those harmonies here, giving Dugas about as much mic time as Hamel. And songs like "Peggy" and the melancholy "Miner's Lullaby" show just how well their voices mesh.

"Peggy" matches an original melody by Hamel with lyrics about a free-spirited girl whose love won't be denied by her parents' disapproval. In "Babylon," Hamel again provides the music -- this time to a set of lyrics derived from a series of nursery rhymes, which combine into a surprisingly good song.

"A World Turned Upside Down" and "Miner's Lullaby" each turn their attention to tragedy, one about a peaceful effort by farmers to defy the landlords and work the land as free individuals (beautifully sung as an a cappella duet), and the other from the perspective of a miner's wife whose husband, trapped in a mine collapse, has his only salvation in a tin of morphine to ease his death.

Another winner is the Hamel original, "Lonesome Heaven." Not only does the song highlight her strong vocal skills, it also reminds us that Hamel needs to be writing more original lyrics.

To Anybody at All is an excellent addition to Clandestine's discography. If it has any weakness at all -- and this is debatable -- it's the band's apparent preference for slow, emotional songs. While the mournful ballads provide a nice counterpoint to the toe-tapping instrumentals, I'd still like to hear the singers give voice to an occasional rousing drinking song or bawdy ballad (like "The Catcher in the Rye," from The Ale is Dear). It's something I hope they keep in mind when they start planning album No. 4.

If there's any justice in the music industry (and I fear, sometimes, there is not), To Anybody at All will garner Clandestine the attention it deserves from a major distributor. It, and the two previous albums, should have a larger audience. But, until one of the big boys wises up and adds Clandestine to its catalogue, you'll have to buy their music directly from the band at a live performance (Go, if you get the chance; you won't regret it!) or via the band's Web page.