the band solas is based in the u.s.

, but the members are mostly irish born and all

are musicians of the first rank. the leader, seamus egan (flutes, tin whistles,
uilleann pipes, guitars, etc.), won a bevy of irish instrumental championships
before he was out of his teens, and has since composed some notable film
soundtracks, including the brothers mcmullen, which yielded the hit "i will
remember you." not surprisingly, solas is one celtic band that understands the
meaning of a hook. this 2002 release is a mixed bag of jazzy floor-stompers,
power-pop experiments, new age exhalations, and ethereal ballads that make the
most of deirdre scanlan's exquisite soprano. winifred horan's fiddling is
especially evocative--dusky toned and effortlessly inventive--and the other
players are also consistently on their game. however, their contributions are
mitigated by intrusive synths and overdubs, which rise to the top of the mixes
with crutchlike frequency. --christina roden