Sean Keane: The Man That I Am (Grapevine)

COULD you imagine anybody, anywhere in the world, having a voice like Sean Keane's? It's so distinctive, so Irish, so full of the west of Ireland that it might as well wear a badge. The brogue is easy and rounded, the voice honeyed, rich, thrillingly expressive and relaxed, but the material on this fourth solo album -ranging from Townes Van Zandt to Jimmy McCarthy - is overly soft-centred and dewy-eyed. Granted, the songs and the warm production play to his strengths - his hard-jawed romanticism and his natural sweet tunefulness sit easily with songs of simple longing. However, usually adroit producers Jim Rooney and Arty McGlynn fail to strike a balance between sharpness and sentimentality, sugaring the confection way too much for my taste. A bit more ruggedness would do no harm.

Joe Breen

Chip Taylor: The London Sessions Bootleg (Train Wreck records)

If you ever wondered who wrote Angel of the Morning, wonder no more. After writing this and recording a number of classic country-folk albums in the 1970s, Chip Taylor moved to the world of professional gambling for 20 years. It was back to music in the early 1990s for this colourful Texan storyteller, and this double CD collection is divided between an eclectic, mostly electric set recorded in London, including the stunning Annie in Your Mind (a duet with Lucinda Williams), and an equally excellent intimate acoustic set recorded in New York (including a moving tribute to a Belfast fan, The Ghost of Phil Sinclair). Taylor's seasoned voice betrays a life well lived and his perceptive songs tell compelling stories. A frequent visitor to these shores, he should not be missed.

Joe Breen

More CDs reviewed in tomorrow's Weekend.