There is a meditative, dreamlike quality to Caoimhín Vallely’s second solo piano album which is in keeping with the time of year of its release into the ether. A pianist of rare delicacy, the influence of Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin is palpable, yet Vallely’s appetites are for expansive, loping tune arcs that trace uncharted terrain with unfussy precision.
Conceived as a continuous piece, Vallely has helpfully spliced the content into digestible tracks. However, there's a naturalness to the flow between and within sets, so that Tomás Rua Ó Súilleabháin's lament Amhrán na Leabhar cosies up alongside Vallely's own Gravité (a tune inspired by a fine bottle of wine) as if they were conjoined twins.
Singers Fiona Kelleher and Karan Casey revel in the richly mined material, borrowed from Appalachia, Jean Ritchie and Bess Cronin with sensitivity. A long player in every sense.
