Cóisir
On the Right
Track
Own label – no number; 54
minutes; 2004
Reviewers tend to expect certain
releases to land on their doormats, either through being forewarned by a
commissioning magazine or simple anticipation of the likelihood of a particular
album turning up in the post. Occasionally, however, albums seem to appear out
of the ether and such is the case with Cóisir’s On the Right Track.
This Meath-based trio takes its
name from the Irish for “party” and consists of the banjo and mandolin player Damaris
Woods, her brother Jim on accordion and bodhrán and singer/guitarist Gerry
Tully. Damaris was raised in Luton, an
English town with a strong Irish community, but has been based in Ireland for
the last fifteen years. Jim’s face would be a familiar one to anybody versed in
London’s Irish music circuit, though is now also living in Ireland, while Gerry
is a Meath native who has already released his own solo album, Grist for the
Mill.
There’s a cross-border flavour to On
the Right Track too, since the album was produced by Fermanagh’s Pat
McManus (who also adds guitars and fiddle) and also featured is another from
the clan, Fintan, on bouzouki. The Donegal fiddler Liz Doherty also guests on a
couple of tracks.
Geographically, however, it’s the
London sound of banjo and accordion which dominates this album. Damaris is a
very adroit picker, as Kiss the Maid Behind the Barrel fully
demonstrates, and in tandem with her brother’s accordion produces a sound akin
to Liam
Farrell and Joe Whelan (which is no mean feat and very pleasant to
boot). Jim’s also a very mellifluous accordionist, as listeners can hear on an
untitled mazurka (learned by Damaris from the playing of Karen Tweed) and his
interplay with Liz Doherty on The Hole in the Kettle and Belle Aisle
reels (both penned by Pat McManus.
In a sense, however, On the
Right Track is actually three albums in one. There are the tunes from the
Woods family repertoire and then there’s the McManus element (three tunes from Pat
and another from Fintan), while the final component consists of Gerry’s four
self-composed songs where the musical mood is very different (indeed bass
guitar is added for two of these).
Gerry is a strong and lyrical
writer. His True Love does actually feel like a love song, though Sweet
Music sounds like something which Luka Bloom/Barry Moore might be
interested in recording (and has rather mid-1980s Pogues-style interludes). What
About You has a great opening couplet and some wondrous picking from Damaris
and his closing number, The Killing Song, is bitterly bleak. He may not
be the most powerful singer, but he certainly has a way with words and,
perhaps, this quality will be recognized by better-known Irish singers looking
for new material.
All told, On the Right Track
proves that Cóisir is a trio well worth watching (and looking out for if you’re
ever in the Rathcairn gaeltacht.
Geoff Wallis
24th June 2004
Click here for more
information about Cóisir.