Grey Larsen & Paddy League - Dark of the Moon

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Grey Larsen & Paddy League
Dark of the Moon
Sleepy Creek Music
The description "traditional Irish music" can be spotted on the back of this CD, and it's a shame the words aren't more prominent. Despite (or perhaps because of) the popularity and impact of Irish music in recent years, the traditional aspects of it have often been shoved aside in favor of campiness, kitsch, new age appeal or excessive stereotyping. The artists responsible for this sort of blurring - and you can name your own names - do a double disservice by possibly causing good Irish fusion (like Kila) to get lumped in with the lame.
Fresh and lively at first listening, Dark of the Moon retains it's depth and beauty with subsequent spins. Larsen and League provide flute, pennywhistle, concertina, guitar, bodhran and harmonium. The choice of material is as elemental as the instrumentation. Sweetly lilting reels, jigs, airs and carols pass by, and whether they stir up feelings of dancing feet or falling tears, they are played with simple but obvious passion, unpretentious skill and a seeming desire to do nothing more than give tradition its due. It therefore makes sense that the brief bits composed by Larsen fit perfectly alongside tunes written generations ago. Larsen and League make their way through these medley-style instrumentals warmly and seamlessly, reminding us all that no matter what degree of popularity a certain music achieves, going back to the basics is seldom a bad idea. - Tom Orr
Available from Amazon.com

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