After listening to All Things Considered and having reviewed Danu's previous CD, Think Before You Think, it's so tempting to take the easy way out with this review and say "ditto." Everything Danu did right with the previous CD is repeated here, from the selection of songs and tunes to the arrangements to the marvelously inclusive liner notes.

Danu still features Tom Doorley on flutes and low whistle, Eamon Doorley on bouzouki and mandola, Brendan McCarthy on button accordion, Jesse Smith on fiddle and viola, Noel Ryan on guitar, Donnchadh Gough on bodhran and uilleann pipes, and Ciaran O Gealbhain doing lead vocals. This time, Benny adds melodeon and harmonica and Ciaran adds piano accordion.

However, sometime during the recording of this album, Jesse Smith left the band and was replaced by Oisin MacAuley -- "the Donegal sensation," as he's called in the liner notes. I'm sure both gentlemen will be disappointed to hear this, but I can't say the band is better with one or the other. The sound of the band is remarkable with either fiddler. In fact, I listened to the whole CD to see if I could figure out which fiddler was playing on which track, and sadly, I don't have that good an ear -- I couldn't tell.

There's a flow to this album, not unlike a well-planned concert. They kick off with a wonderful set of reels, "The Garsun Who Beat His Father/Sean McGuire's/Jimmy Kelly's," that sets toes to tapping immediately. Not only is there serious thought given to each arrangement, but it seems they've carefully planned the arrangement of the cuts on the CD, yielding a great mix of reels, jigs and hornpipes intermixed with the songs. As an example of how carefully planned this is, after the slow, wistful songs, like "The Wee Lass on the Brae" and "Easy and Free," the next set of instrumentals starts off with a moderately slow tune that shifts into a faster, more dynamic tune to bring the listener back up to Danu's remarkable energy level.

The song selection really shows off Ciaran's voice on this album. "Bridget Donaghue" is the sweetest love song I've heard in a long time. Johnnie Patterson wrote the lyrics and the music was written by a good friend of the band's, Alan Burke. Together with Ciaran's voice, the song cozies up to your mind so quickly, you can sing along before it's over. It's also a real treat to hear Ciaran singing along with Liam Clancy on "Easy and Free."

The accompaniment is perfect with every song as well, supporting the vocalist, never overshadowing him. In "Uncle Rat," the band starts with a spare guitar intro, followed with a lilting whistle, then fiddle. The instruments continue to dance behind Ciaran, switching leads, sometimes playing melody, sometimes playing harmony, but always adding spice to the flavorful ballad.

The instrumentals represent a fine selection of Irish tunes, not only the familiar jigs and reels but also a Highland tune thrown in for good measure (the first tune in the medley "Rince Garbhchriche Ri Seoirse IV/The Road to Cashel/Cafferkey's Shine.") The band wastes no time in putting Oisin out front either, featuring one of his original pieces in this medley as well -- "Cafferkey's Shine," which is a tribute to a friend who is follically challenged, and demonstrating the group's delightfully whimsical sense of humor.

What makes the selection of instrumentals special with this group -- both on this CD as well as their previous one -- is not only the variety of tunes they've selected, but the fact that the tunes are interesting to begin with. Each member then adds his own interpretation and embellishments, enough to make the tunes interesting and infrequent enough to continue the tradition of this style of music. But even more so, it is the level of talent among these musicians that captures the listener's interest. I've seen them play live, so I know that the sound I hear is really coming from them, but still, as I listen to the finished product, I can't imagine how they manage the complexity of it all. And they make it sound so effortless; they've quickly risen to the top of my list of CDs I listen to frequently.

If there is an ego in this group, it's a group ego. No one is demanding to be the star, but each member takes his turn leading the group, and when they all play together, it's a wonderfully even mix. Of course, this is probably due as much to the recording engineers Martin Murray and Bruno Staehlin, and sound mixers Martin Murray and Joe McKenna, but I think the final result captures the intention -- and more importantly, the high spirits and animated personality -- of each of the band members.

- Rambles
written by Alanna Berger
published 15 March 2003

[ visit the artist's website ]