Latest CD releases reviewed.

ALTAN
Local Ground EMI
****

Ten albums, 20 years. Altan's prodigious work rate never seems to flag, nor does their enthusiasm for unearthing and melding tunes. Local Ground is rooted in a calm authority reflected in some delicious tune choices (in particular Is the Big Man Within?, a jig borrowed from James Kelly, and in an eclectic set fired by tunes from Tommy Peoples, Charlie Lennon and one of Altan's two fiddle supremos, Ciaran Tourish) and by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh's impeccable song choices. Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill guests on piano on The Roseville, a fine original from Daithí Sproule. Guests abound, but none obscure the music. The nakedness of the introduction to Ní Mhaonaigh's crisp reading of As I Roved Out captures the critical intermingling of zen-like reflection and unapologetic effervescence that now defines Altan more than anything else. www.altan.ie

Siobhán Long

CLANNAD
Live In Concert MDM Records
**

If the purpose of live recordings is to capture a moment in time, then Clannad's latest collection delivers. In fact, it captures many moments in time, spanning the breadth of the Brennan and Duggan clans' career path, from the homeliness of Dulamán to the oh-so-'80s sax-laden In a Lifetime, Brian Kennedy gamely stepping into the space where Bono's vocals used to be. It's a curious snapshot, swing shifting from the avowedly traditional Níl Sé 'n Lá to Clannad's ultimate bankroller, Theme from Harry's Game. Moya Brennan's voice is still a standout, but there's an overarching synthetic texture to a repertoire that prefigured some of the later densely-layered production of Brennan sibling, Enya. It's oddly dated and betrays only the slightest tincture of a 3D setting; serious collectors only need apply. www.clannad.ie

Siobhán Long