Search - Noel McLoughlin :: Christmas & Winter Songs From Ireland

Who IS this guy?

Lyonis the Leo | Bountiful, UT United States | 11/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I picked up this CD through the Musical Heritage Society, and didn't listen to it for a long time, for no good reason. Today I tossed it into the mix of 5 Christmas albums I'm scanning through prior to deciding what to keep, what to sell. As I was semi-listening while typing I suddenly found myself asking, "Who IS this guy?" This is very traditional Irish music, and if you like Celtic, and like it traditional, and want to hear some unusual versions of things like Holly and the Ivy, We Three Kings, and Here We Come A Wassailing, then this is for you. But it's more than traditional, Christmas in The Old Man's Hat, Cold Blow and the Rainy Night and others will make this a CD you'll play more than once, just for the freshness. And it's not all Christmas music, either. So, you won't necessarily have to put it away when December 26th comes calling.



This isn't a lushly orchestrated album, it's simple, mostly voice and guitar with some penny whistle and other traditional instruments, and I, for one, find that to be a plus rather than a minus, Noel stands on his musical ability. And delivers."