The Road Less Traveled

Product description Danu - Road Less Traveled - Cd Amazon.com For their third album, the youthful Irish band Danu has moved in a reflective, slightly country-tinged direction. There have been changes in the line-up, too; guitarist Donal Clancy (his father Liam was one of the original Clancy Brothers) adds a slant of golden afternoon light to the instrumentals, and Muireann Nic Amhranai's straightforward yet evocative alto has replaced Ciaran O'Gealbhain's otherworldly tenor. There is also a delightful guest turn by fiddler John Sheahan, whose bow channels the searing, treble-laced tone and weightless attack of the legendary traveling players. The current set list easily confirms Danu's mastery of Irish traditions but they have also gone questing beyond the Celtic pale, essaying an American folk tune ("Peg And Awl") and "Farewell, Farewell" by British folk-rocker Richard Thompson. They make both their own, much as their embattled forebears, when forbidden to speak Gaelic, transformed the English language into something altogether mystical and grand. --Christina Roden