I think I put off listening to House of Hamill because I was still in mourning for the dissolution of fiddler and vocalist Rose Baldino's former band, Burning Bridget Cleary. (I still think BBC has the cooler name, btw.) But, while I missed the new band's debut album, 2016's Wide Awake, I did score a copy of its 2018 followup March Through Storms.

My fondness for BBC rested largely on Baldino's unmistakable talents, and rest assured they are still on full display here. Her fiddle playing in particular is both sweet and muscular, always in the forefront whenever she plays.

Her vocals, too, are potent in the mix, particularly in the original song "Pandora's Box" and the moody "Eggshells." She does a great job on Ann and Nancy Wilson's "Magic Man," artfully blended with Ed Reavy's "House of Hamill Reel," although the song feels like an odd choice for the album. She also plays guitar and banjo on the album.

Baldino's partner in the band is also her spouse, Enter the Haggis member Brian Buchanan. (Baldino, by the way, has since joined EtH, even though she and Buchanan also maintain a busy House of Hamill schedule.) Here, Buchanan sings and plays guitars, keys, fiddle, banjo and mandolin.

They're joined on the album by Chico Huff on electric bass, Bruce McCarthy on drums and percussion, Corey Purcell on bodhran and accordion, Michael Olsen on cello, Joe Plowman on upright bass, Julie Mae Staley on harp, John Stoudt on trumpet, Lucille Frey on autoharp, and Frey, Ginny Lehr and Rob Leonard on backing vocals, claps and stomps. The production levels are full and lush, a sweeping set of arrangements that make you forget the heart of this band is a duo.

I should never have doubted that any project Baldino undertakes would be an enjoyable one. While I still prefer the overall sound of Bridget Cleary over Hamill, this certainly is a worthy project and one I hope to keep a closer eye on in the future.

[ visit the House of Hamill online ]