Angela Long  heard Reynardine in The Sugar Club, Dublin.

Supported by the portentous Holt, (who see nothing wrong with tuning their guitars in the middle of a song), Reynardine played to a home crowd in The Sugar Club on Thursday night: and their disciplined, low-key style did much to win them new followers even before their opening song, The Roving Sea Captain came to a close.

Kevin Branigan's vocals and fiddle were game for an early assault. His singing style relied mainly on a solid foundation of a decent pair of vocal cords, and ventured only intermittently into places where embellishments were required. His sanguine fiddle lines were a perfect foil for the band's folk song repertoire, drawn from English and American sources.

Neil McAvinia's acoustic and electric guitar were initially nervy, lacking in confidence and conviction. Gradually he grew into his role, particularly after tackling a pair of Old Time American songs, including Nobody's Fault But Mine. He showed all the signs of a Soggy Bottom Boy in the making, given a brace of gigs to locate his vocal register with more confidence.

Garret Brady lent superb acoustic guitar and harmonica, revealing a sturdy appetite for exploration in his treatment of All For The Love Of You, but he was let down on occasion by a voice that struggled to take full possession of an often-challenging song repertoire.

Reynardine's real strength lies in their eclectic catalogue of songs. Crow Jane and Lass From The Low Country hint at a foursome whose listening appetites stretch well beyond the mainstream. But still, they rarely managed to meld, with song after song connecting two, and sometimes three, but rarely uniting all four players.

Reynardine lean on Aideen Morrissey's voice to a huge extent, and while at times it was magnificent, at others, her vocals struggled even towards the pedestrian.

Her obvious discomfort with being centre-stage did the band few favours, and her cello lines were equally unpredictable, and at times downright flabby.

Reynardine whisper of a foursome hungry to take flight. On Leeson Street the other night though, all they managed was to rise to an occasional gallop, leaving their audience yearning for a touch more confidence, and a whole lot more connection than they mustered in one of the most hospitable venues in the city.