I was playing in a pub session in Letterkenny, County Donegal, when one of the local guitarists leaned over and asked if I'd heard North Cregg on my journeys. This band, he assured me, is taking Irish music to a new level, and he urged me to check them out before I left the country. How could I refuse?

North Cregg, based in County Cork, is Christy Leahy (accordion), Caoimhin Vallely (fiddle, piano), Paul Meehan (banjo, mandolin, bouzouki), Ciaran Coughlan (piano), Martin Leahy (snare drum, percussion) and John Neville (vocals, guitar). Guests are Bernard Subert on clarinets and Chris McCarthy on double bass.

Subert, at the very least, should be added to the band's full-time lineup. His clarinets add a lovely, lively feel, bordering on klezmer, to the instrumental tunes on which he plays. It's that boost which gives North Cregg a distinct, memorable sound that kept me coming back to this CD over and over again.

But the band doesn't rely on Subert for its energy. These musicians all have plenty of oomph and instrumental skill.

The problem with this CD is the selection of songs. Nothing against Neville, whose voice is strong and sweet, but the songs share a style and theme so much so that they all ran together over repeated listenings. Beginning with "Slip Jigs & Reels," a Steve Tilston composition dealing with an unlucky Irish immigrant to the American West, the songs are pretty much all slow, mellow and depressing.

"Farewell to the Gold" by Paul Metzers is about an unlucky goldminer. The traditional song "Lord Franklin" is about an unlucky Arctic explorer, whose expedition disappeared while searching for the Northwest Passage in 1845. "Young Jack Tanner," a Neville original, is about a lucky (yes, lucky!) sailmaker who journeys to America with a cross-dressing cabin boy -- but, lucky or not, the song maintains the slow, mellow tone of the rest.

Keep singing, John, but try on the next album to throw in a cheery song or two!

That hitch aside, North Cregg has assembled a startling good album of instrumental tracks, and the addition of Subert to their energetic sound makes this a winner. Check out these boys from Cork for a grand time indeed!