Stargazer

Inspired by the expressionist paintings of Jack Butler Yeats (brother of the poet WB Yeats), Stargazer positions Ensemble Ériu as one of the most articulate, imaginative and entertaining voices in contemporary Irish music. Named after a matron goddess of Ireland and rooted solidly in traditional idioms, Ériu bring an eclectic range of influences to bear with a coherence as persuasive as it is striking. There's a classical sensibility at work in this six-part suite in all but name composed by Neil O'Loghlen and Jack Talty, with an endless thematic richness to the music, technical variety in the playing and a subterranean narrative threading together a swathe of emotions. By turns meditative and celebratory, melancholic and playful, it's like a song cycle without words that draws a thrilling sense of jazz-like spontaneity and nimbly reciprocal ensemble playing.
The group is a septet, joined by Aoife Ní Bhriain's fired-up fiddle on the combustible ‘Fear an Bhogha’. Maeve O'Hara's marimba and vibraphone add African-accented colours throughout, most notably on the lilting, minimalist ‘Sruthán Rua'. Talty provides County Clare-accented concertina, while Ó Loclainn adds a dancing flute and heartbeat of a double bass. Eloquent contributions, too, come from Jeremy Spencer's fiddle, Paddy Groenland's guitar, drummer Matthew Jacobson and Matthew Berrill's clarinets. Stargazer is a wonderfully rich and rewarding experience.