This is the second self-produced CD from young Donegal fiddler Matt McGranaghan. One thing is almost immediately evident: it is at least as reminiscent of Shetland fiddling as of Donegal fiddling. The style of playing itself, choice of material (Shetland tunes, French Canadian tunes, a variety of "gorgeous" slow pieces, as well as various Irish dance tunes), the accompaniment, and some of the production values (like fairly heavy reverb on the fiddle) all together suggest the Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham recordings. This should be no surprise, as the liner notes tell us that Matt is a fan and self-conscious exponent of Shetland fiddling and Willie Hunter is one of Matt's favorite fiddlers.
The liner notes by John Daly suggest that there is a "fiery Donegal edge to his up-tempo playing," and there is such an edge but I would not call his style a traditional Donegal style. Matt's style is far more similar to the technically accomplished, polished, eclectic, and adventurous playing of northerners and Shetland players like Aly Bain, Liz Doherty, Sean McGuire, and Dezi Donnelly than it is to, say, John Doherty or Francie Byrne. The "pure drop" is not in evidence here; that is just not what Matt wants to do, evidently. Indeed, Matt has chosen material from several different traditions and mixed in a healthy serving of newly composed material. There is nothing here that can be called a "Donegal tune," except perhaps the common session tune "The Donegal Reel" (it is in the usual setting albeit with variations).
The playing is technically polished to a very high standard. If there is "depth and expression one would expect from a much older player," as John Daly's notes opine, I confess I do not hear it. Should one say Sean McGuire's over-the-top outings contain great "depth and expression"? That's not how I'd describe it--while I respect and occasionally enjoy the music of the great McGuire, it strikes me as far too often as virtuosity for its own sake. Now, if you disagree with me about McGuire, then you might agree with John Daly about Matt. It is expressive and certainly impressive playing, in any case--I certainly do not want to take that away from him--and I would bet Matt gives an excellent concert.
If you are specifically looking for Irish music, you will find five tracks of it here, including my favorite tracks--the reels ("Mulligar Races," "The Donegal Reel," and "The Road to Ballymac") and the jigs ("The Sixpenny Money," "The Shores of Lough Gowna," and "Strike the Gay Harp"). I think if Matt were made an album of Irish traditional music that sounded like that, it would be one I personally would be more likely to listen to more often.
The backup work is largely unobtrusive, fairly highly skilled, and thankfully not overproduced.
In sum, while the album certainly cannot be recommended for its Donegal or even its Irish material, if you think that "technically accomplished, polished, and adventurous playing of northerners and Shetland players" is the cat's pajamas--which, of course, a large market certainly does--and if you appreciate an eclectic selection of tunes, then there's an excellent chance that you will enjoy this offering.
I have a feeling this is not the last we have heard of Matt McGranaghan, and that the best is yet to come.
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