ALTAN - Runaway Sunday (Virgin Records CDV 2836)
Dare I say it that about fifteen years ago (perhaps nearer twenty!) I was first introduced to the elegance and majesty that was Clannad - hands up those of you who remember the good old days of the National in Kilburn. Now don't take this the wrong way but Altan somehow seem to be going the same track. Featuring as it does the soft, sultry vocals of Mairead ni Mhaonaigh and the fiddle/melodeon interplay of Ciaran Tourish and Dermot Byrne, the band have found a comfortable niche. Simplicity in arrangements without the contrivances of modern (for this read electric) interference shows just how good the music can be. Although not breaking new ground, the band show just how good music can prevail against all odds in the fickle music marketplace.
(Pete Fyfe)