The Merry Sisters of Fate

1	Aoibhneas Eillis Ni Cheallaigh/Jimmy Ward's/Not Safe With a Razor 4:22
2	Donogh and Mike's 1st August/Windbroke 3:52
3	Killarney Boys of Pleasure 4:06
4	The Merry Sisters of Fate/The Longacre 2:55
5	Inion Ni Scannláin 2:47
6	Casu 4:17
7	Páistin Fionn 3:51
8	The Minor Bee 4:46
9	Scully's 4:12
10	Return from Fingal 3:16
11	Morning Nightcap 4:56

Barnes & Noble

Lest we forget that, in Ireland, the guitar is a rhythm instrument, the neo-classic Celtic band Lúnasa has concocted an album full of macho drive, deceptively called The Merry Sisters of Fate. Yes, they are opening for Mary Chapin Carpenter in summer of 2001, but there's nothing girly about their mix of traditional tunes and their own new work. Lúnasa is a happy band of soloists in their own right, (including the uilleann pipes player from Riverdance, Cillian Vallely). Their strengths have been honed by touring, and the tracks on this album reflect the warm response they received for their special blend of thumping good traditionals and the softer sensibilities of new age guys. With lightning speed and consummate skill, the members of Lúnasa can switch gears from a tour de force like the title track to gentle, wordless love songs, such as the one guitarist Donogh Hennessy wrote for his girlfriend, Iníon Ní Scanláin. Haunting tracks from the Galician number Casu to the elegantly simple Páistín Fionn remind us that in the old, small world of Celtic traditions, only a tough man can afford to be soft. Emily King

All Music Guide

Lúnasa has become one of the best and most exciting Celtic ensembles in the world by updating Irish tradition in a way more subtle than usual. Where other bands incorporate Asian or African percussion, synthesizers, and electric instruments, Lúnasa mostly relies on a different rhythmic approach while keeping the core instrumentation largely traditional (with the exception of string bassist Trevor Hutchinson). That said, there are a few electric guitars and other exotica (clarinet, lap steel, etc.) on The Merry Sisters of Fate -- but they mostly provide little more than subtle shadings of texture. As usual, the sonic focus is on the outstanding fiddler Sean Smyth, flutist Kevin Crawford, and piper Cillian Vallelly; on barnburning rave-ups like the "Merry Sisters of Fate" reel set and the "Minor Bee" jig set, they fly through the tunes with joyful abandon, pushed along by Donogh Hennessey's percussive guitar and Hutchinson's thrumming bass. And on more restrained fare, such as the eerie "Killarney Boys of Pleasure," their multitracked parts combine to produce a dark and complex atmosphere. Highly recommended. Rick Anderson