Sharon Shannon & Alan Connor
Album: In Galway
Label: IRL
Tracks: 15+15
Website: http://sharonshannon.com/

In many ways, "In Galway" is an album that sees Sharon Shannon returning to a more traditional root. In comparison to her last studio albums, "In Galway" is positively sparse, being just her and co-conspirator Alan Connor in a live show that was captured for both audio and DVD and which comes out as a delightful double package.

One of the things I like about the album is that it's not an exclusively instrumental package so you also get to hear both performers not only as lead instrumentalists, but also as accompanists, two differing skill sets. Now it has to be said that Alan Connor is not one of the greatest vocalists that you're ever going to hear, but hearing the duo performing a song that seems to have become Sharon's signature tune, "The Galway Girl" the passion and spirit more than make up for any failings of the voice.

That said the vast majority of the album is instrumental, but with a healthy number of instrument changes and a real run through the gamut of time signatures you never really find the time to feel that "In Galway" is anything other than fresh, two fantastic performers out to have a good time and to make sure you have one too and short of serving you a glass or two of the black stuff, there is very little either of them could do to enhance that feeling.

This is a pub gig and if all pub gigs sounded like this there would be plenty more excuses, if excuses were needed, to get out with friends and enjoy a night of music in good company. Make no mistake, this is an album that celebrates music and particularly traditional music as part of the social fabric that makes life worth the effort, a fact that some in society seem to, conveniently, forget.

"In Galway" is a fun album and one that seems to give both Sharon and Alan the freedom to kick back and have some fun. It's definitely different to how Sharon sounds in the studio, it's a different world and a different recording style and I think you'll be hard pushed not to enjoy it as much as they two of them did during the recording.

Neil King