Christy Moore
Album: Where I Come From
Label: Columbia
Tracks: 43 (3CD)
Website: http://www.christymoore.com

At 68 years of age, a man could be forgiven for seeking time to reflect, but when it's Christy who's cogitating, two things are certain, firstly that there is much food for thought, and also that such thoughts should be ignored at one's peril. Where I Come From, a sprawling 43 track opus spread over 3 albums is part social document, part gauntlet throwing, and part mischief making, but most of all , it's a roadmap of, and to, the heart of the man who made it.

Back when he quit the bank almost half a century ago, I'm certain that he never imagined himself making such an imprint on Ireland's culture map, but, make no mistake, it is precisely what he HAS done. This triptych , though, is different from anything that has come before, in that he has either written or co-written every one of the tracks , spanning an emotional range which goes from quietly visceral to uproariously comic. That, in essence, is the gift that he possesses-the ability to walk the high wire between polemic, political and the humourous, and not a safety net in sight.

As to the material, there is a lightness of touch to the production, by himself and Declan Sinnott, that allows the songs, no matter what, free reign of expression, so that the focus is always on the voice-ever strong-and the lyric. He mixes madness, sadness and humour with the touch of a medieval alchemist, and is never afraid to update , or alter, a lyric to ensure its contemporary relevance. To pick out individual tracks as favourites would be an exercise in futility, such is the overall quality in evidence here. Only one thing is certain. This is the album of the year-in this house at any rate- by some considerable distance.

Oliver P. Sweeney