Faha Rain

There's an intriguing new fusion scene developing in Ireland, with major musicians exploring how to blend traditional influences with other styles. The Gloaming are the best-selling masters of the genre; but there's also Matthew Noone and Tommy Hayes, aka An Tara. Noone has links with The Gloaming – he has toured India, collaborating with their celebrated fiddler Martin Hayes and guitarist Dennis Cahill – and he and Tommy Hayes continue to explore the spaces between Irish and Indian styles on the duo's second album.

Noone is an exponent of the sarod, the fretless lute that plays a key role in much Hindustani music, and which he studied in India, but he also adds a dash of ukulele, fiddle and laidback vocals. He is backed by the masterful bodhrán work of Hayes, who is famed for his work for everyone from Stockton's Wing to Altan; Hayes also plays anything percussive, from marimba to woodblocks. The result is a gently adventurous set in which their own compositions are mixed with new settings for traditional pieces or fiddle tunes from Clare, all given a subtle Indian edge. An Tara may not have the dynamic or emotional range of The Gloaming, but this album is an adventurous set that is worth investigating.