Side By Side Claddagh Records***

Side By Sideis a collection not so much defined by sibling rivalry as sibling revelry. Connemara sisters and symbiotic fiddle players Liz and Yvonne Kane mine a rich seam of tunes on their first album together in six years. While their fluency is everywhere evident in the tandem playing, it's their imaginative choice of tunes that propels the album forward most forcibly. Liz's own tunes are finely honed set pieces, with the jig pair, 3 Deer and a Hare/Pangur Bánsetting an unforced pace. The sisters' take on the Thomond Bridgehornpipe, replete with powerhouse step dancing from the remarkable Ottawan, Nathan Pilatske, breathes glorious life into a well-worn tune. The album is bare-boned in its production and the Kanes have the gumption to give it their all, without recourse to the mixing desk tricks that seduce others. See thekane sisters.com