Is it an album title? Or an invitation?

In either case, Dublin 5's Buy Us a Drink is an excellent album for anyone who enjoys lively Celtic rock.

I've seen the Annapolis-based band perform live at a few festivals over the years, including the Rose & Shamrock in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and the Maryland Irish Festival in Timonium. They always provide a grand time, but the excitement of a live show doesn't always transfer well to a studio recording.

No worries here! This is a great album to put on repeat, or to shuffle with a few other CDs for an awesome playlist.

The band is led by Dublin native Ray Murphy, lead singer and guitarist, who fronts each song with a lot of high-energy fun. Behind him are Jenn Belle on fiddle, Gary Hewitt on bass, Jim Martin on percussion and Kevin Shook on drums. (I'm assuming this lineup, which is the current lineup, is also the band from 2011 when this was recorded. The CD has no notes to speak of, and the band website doesn't discuss its history much. For what it's worth, they used to be known as The Rovers -- in fact, this album might have been recorded and issued under that name initially -- but they've been Dublin 5 since 2013.)

Anyway, the album begins with the title track, followed by popular staples including "As I Roved Out," "Galway Girl," "Raggle Taggle Gypsy," "Back Home in Derry," "Rocky Road to Dublin" and "Black 'n Tans." Murphy has a great voice for the selection, and while the instrumentation is excellent throughout, I have to admit a special fondness for Belle's fiddle work.

All in all, good stuff. If you get the chance, see these guys live. If that's not possible, this album is a fine substitute.