North Cregg is as Irish a band as you can get. Five members of the band play music especially well suited to the accordion, which is played by band member Christy Leahy. Joining him are Caoimhin Vallely on fiddle, Ciaran Coughlan on piano and keyboard, John Neville on vocals and guitar, and Martin Leahy on snare drum and percussion.

Christy opens the CD with some fine playing on "McGoldrick's No.2/Thunderhead" and then blasts out three polkas, which are part of the fiery dance-driven music from the area of Sliabh Luachra. Three more polkas, a selection of reels and another of jigs do make for some driving music on this CD.

Accompanying the instrumental cuts are four vocal numbers. Three of them are written and sung by Neville, and I thought they were really well done. They added to the dance music and were in keeping with the lively pace and style of the other numbers on the CD.

The only piece I would question was a rendition of "Roseville Fair." It didn't match the vigor of the other tracks. Even though the title of the CD actually comes from a line in this song, this isn't a lively dance piece but more of a waltz. It's a romantic rendering of the song and very different from any other version I've heard.

I'd say this is a CD that brings the Irish pub sound right to your door, and if you like some accordion in it as well, then this is really a little gem of an album.