Shortly before the final split of SixMileBridge, a high-powered quintet of Irish rockers transplanted from New York to Texas, they released one final album. Fortunately for posterity's sake, it's a good last bow for the band and should keep fans sated 'til Maggie Drennon and Anders Johansson get their new project, the Maggie Drennon Band, into the recording studio.

While you wait, don't miss the chance to get No Strangers Here for your last taste of SixMileBridge. Besides Maggie (lead vocals, fiddle, bass guitar) and Anders (electric, acoustic and bass guitars), the band is Sean Cunningham (Irish flute, whistles, Highland bagpipes), Frances Cunningham (cittern, mandolin, bouzouki) and Tim Newton (drums).

There are a lot of highlights on this disc, starting right off with track one, "John Barleycorn," a murderous metaphor for beer-making. "North Country Fair," a long-time 6MB favorite from their live shows, is given exuberant new life in this studio version. "Celtic Hotel Set" is a rockin' instrumental, the bass and drums ensuring that no one mistakes this for a traditional band. "Marching" is a moving rebel song as seen from a child's point of view -- edgy, and a little bit scary, with a brilliant blend of traditional flute with mandolin and nontraditional electric guitar, bass and drums and, of course, Maggie's strong-as-ever vocals.

Sean takes over lead vocals for a wonderfully fun rendition of "The Crack was 90 in the Isle of Man." "Crooked Bridge Set" is another blast of tunes, this time featuring the powerful pipes.

"Tiger Bay" is a gorgeous song about emigration and family hardship -- it's an excellent showcase for the expressiveness of Maggie's singing. Anders is somewhat reminiscent of Mark Knopfler in his singing of the bagpipe-driven "Cowboy Song." And Maggie's composition, "Brand New Legacy," speaks to the need for a family heritage.

No Strangers Here is a fine addition to SixMileBridge's discography. Since this is that band's final effort, grab a copy while you can.