Téada / Teada

Ireland's Téada might have become a five-piece, having added a button accordion player, but their self-titled debut catches them when they still had four members, making a joyful and extremely melodic sound. With two multi-instrumentalists in John Blake (flute/guitar/piano) and Sean McElwain (bouzouki/banjo) they can add plenty of textures to their sound, although it's the interplay between Blake's flute and Oisin Mac Diarmada's fiddle that adds some of the loveliest moments, as on the treacherous slips jigs of "The Surround/In the Garret/Port No Deorai" or the reel set of "Micho Russell's/Bill Harte's/The Green Gates." They don't use vocals a lot, although one hopes they will in future, because both "Peigin's Peadar" and "A Bhean A'Ti" showcase plenty of ability on traditional material. But their young hearts are firm within the tradition; even something recent like the gorgeous "Rossinver Braes" seems to breathe with history in their hands. They already have plenty of accolades behind them, even at this relatively early stage, and with Téada they've set out a very impressive stall.