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THE LONDON LASSES WITH CHRIS O’MALLEY - The One I Loved The Best

THE LONDON LASSES WITH CHRIS O’MALLEY - The One I Loved The Best
Lola Records LL006

The London Lasses have been producing good quality music from the London Irish scene for 15 years now, and in many ways are synonymous with that scene. This is their fifth album and, yet again, they have produced just over an hour’s worth of Irish music and song they can be proud of.

Since their last album, 2010’s By Night And By Day, there have been a couple of line-up changes: young Brogan McAuliffe’s concertina replaces Maureen Linane’s accordion (though Maureen drops in for a guest slot!), and Pete Quinn is replaced on the piano by Chris O’Malley, who also plays guitar (which adds a different dimension to the band sound at times, though it is still very recognisably The London Lasses).

There’s a nice selection of tunes on this recording; many traditional and many from the great and the good of Irish music including Finbarr Dwyer, Charlie Lennon, Joe Liddy, Nollaig Casey and Ed Reavy. As one would expect, the playing is impeccable throughout, though sometimes the chordal accompaniment is a bit too heavy for my liking, and can distract from the tune, and I am not altogether sure about the inclusion of the saxophone on some of the tracks. There are four songs, including one in Irish, all sung in Brona McVittie’s distinctive, slightly ethereal, County Down accent (which makes for interesting listening when she sings Robert Burns’ Dainty Davie). Her version of Flower Of Sweet Strabane is lovely.

So, another quality instalment from these Lasses of London – fine musicianship all round, though for some reason it doesn’t excite me quite as much as some of their previous releases.

www.londonlasses.net

Michael White


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This album was reviewed in Issue 114 of The Living Tradition magazine.