The father of
Solas
'
John Doyle
,
Sean Doyle
is a good, accomplished singer, with a strong selection of songs from both sides of the Irish border. For the most part he prefers
ballads
, such as
"Henry Joy McCracken,"
but he can bring plenty of life to
"The Flower of the County Down"
(a version of
"The Star of the County Down"
) and humor to
"Let Mr. McGuire Sit Down."
The accompaniment is happily sparse, keeping attention focused on the song and the singer. At times it's simply
Doyle
and his son, a perfect, sympathetic combination. He's a casual, effortless singer, which works excellently in this context. Quite whether the poem
"He Thinks of His Past Greatness When a Part of the Constellations of Heaven"
belongs here is up for debate, as it breaks the rhythm. It leads into
"The Shores of Lough Bran,"
a lovely closer whose tune is a dead ringer for
"She Moves Through the Fair,"
but still a wonderful piece.
might have waited a long time to make his recording debut, but it's well worth the wait. ~ Chris Nickson