Gaelré

Gaelré sees Belfast's Gráinne Holland delivering a spellbinding follow-up to her 2011 debut Teanga na nGael. Reunited with arranger and producer Dónal O’Connor, she has placed herself squarely in the vanguard of a new generation of Gaelic singers emerging from Northern Ireland, who are intent on giving Irish traditional music a more contemporary feel. The tone may be noticeably more downbeat and chilled than on her bright, buoyant debut, but it perfectly frames the variegated colours and emotional directness of Holland's voice. Many of these Irish and Scottish songs are familiar fare, but Holland's deftly understated approach –nuanced, poetic and elegant – makes them seem wholly fresh and vital. Robert Burns’ ‘Síos an Sliabh’ is captivatingly realised; the hypnotic ‘Airdre Cuain’ from Holland's native County Antrim is hypnotically conjured up with low keening strings and a crepuscular drone.

Dónal O’Connor's evocative arrangements are subtly idiomatic and spiced with his own viola, Michael McCague's bouzouki and the cello of Neil Martin. Equally strong support from illustrious names such as Brendan Mulholland (flute), John McSherry (uilleann pipes and whistle) and Michael McCluskey (guitar) add to the pleasure of an intimate and immensely appealing disc.