Claudia Schwab
Album: Amber Sands
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.claudiaschwab.com

Given Claudia's background, you'd expect something strikingly individual from her music, and this debut CD certainly makes you sit up and take notice. A deliciously funky back-beat drives a fiddle-led reel, onto which is overlaid a yodelling part which then develops multiple voicings in counterpoint. Herewith heavy clues to Claudia's back-story: born in Austria and steeped in its folk traditions (including both fiddling and yodelling!), subsequently travelling the world with various bands and orchestras - thereby wholeheartedly immersing herself in other world music traditions - and finally settling in Ireland, where for the past eight years she's lived and worked.

Given this extraordinary melting-pot of musical expertise and experiences, Claudia's own music could easily have turned out a directionless mish-mash, an overload of ideas and influences, but the vast majority of Amber Sands really convinces and provides an ear-grabbingly unusual and most stimulating ride that's pretty much unforgettable. Of course, Claudia's got herself in the right place, for she's fortunate to be able to call on folks like Seamie O'Dowd, Eamonn Cagney, Dervish's Brian McDonagh and Kila's Seanan Brennan for contributions, so there's a sense of fine detail and acute feel for interesting and supportive texturing alongside the common love of playing music session-style.

Having said that, it's the arrangements that call the attention, yet for the most part without being overly obtrusive. The first five tracks of the CD are hard to beat for their musical variety, diversity and impact: there's a brief three-part a cappella yodel, a meandering melange of Latin and middle-eastern percussion (Like Lisa), a stomping session-style medley (the Tune From The Base set) and best of all, As She Went Down To The River, a haunting mix of Irish ballad and eastern raga with sublime guest vocal by Cathy Jordan no less. Alap To Austrindia brings the yodel and fiddle lines into close proximity in Indian-classical mode, finally resolving into tricky Swedish Harmony, and the gentle lilt of the inevitably fiddlesome Little Fiddle Trio is very attractive.

Just a couple of tracks feel overcooked, even contrived - Currybbean takes its punning exotic West Indian flavours too far, and Sunday At Home is a cacophony of samples that just irritates especially on repeat hearings; and the closing remix of the opening Jodlfunk, although a logical bookend, at length feels a touch redundant. But there's so much inventiveness and brilliant musicianship on display here that Claudia's debut can be judged genuinely irresistible.

David Kidman