Folk music to the average inhabitant of this island isn’t the sort of stuff that Eddie Butcher or Frank Harte used to sing, but what we might call filtered Americana. Day time radio has it’s fair share and the more local the radio the bigger chance of hearing some band a few steps up from the local wedding group belting out a folk-country number.

There are few bands who rise above the ordinary and deliver Americana straight, Niall Toner, The Four Star Trio, Frankie Lane all names to conjure with. You can pencil in Rye River Band alongside your Fleadh Cowboys from now on. The evidence is plain to hear in this meticulously produced album of 18 tracks of folk songs, American style. With only the final track being traditional ‘Katie Kline’, the others being well known composed pieces and fair play to the researcher who has listed each and every copyright owner right there on the liner of the CD.

The oldest track on the album is a re-working of Davis’ 1949 song ‘Shackles and Chains’ opens the album. Band member, Pat Burgess shows his hand at song writing in a country vein on ‘Lonesome Road’, The Wonderful Barn’ and ‘The Floor Ain’t Level’. There’s an original dance tune ‘The Rye River Waltz’ that has a Texas Swing about it, and plenty more, including Shane MGowan’s ‘Rainy Night in Soho’. Listening to the album there are two distinct styles at work here, a country sound on say John Prine’s ‘Speed of the Sound of Loneliness’ and an edgier blues sound on J.J. Cale’s ‘Same Old Blues Again’. They excel in the blues department on the late Paul Mac Sweeney’s ‘Blues Ain’t Nothing’. For me they have far more passion in the blues numbers. One standout feature is the blues harp playing of Pat MacSweeney, which is great on ‘Rainy Night in Soho’. That harmonica ties the album together once again on ‘May the Circle Be Unbroken’.

A mix of styles, from the Saw Doctors to Chris Rea, hints at Dire Straits and J.J. Cale, a real eye for detail and a tight well rehearsed outfit, like many bands I bet they can play the socks off the dances at any hotel from Naas to Mooncoin.

Sean Laffey