Various Artists – Larry Kirwan’s Celtic Invasion (Valley Entertainment, 2013)
Several weeks before St. Patrick’s Day, record labels start releasing Irish or Celtic oriented albums. Although the great traditional bands and light Celtic recordings get most of the attention, Irish writer Larry Kirwan brings Celtic rock to the table. He currently lives in New York City, where he produces a radio show called Celtic Crush on satellite radio SiriusXM since 2005.
Larry Kirwan’s Celtic Invasion includes 12 of his favorite bands and most requested rock tracks from his radio show. The album includes well known acts like The Waterboys, Runrig and Peatbog Faeries along with popular American Celtic rock bands.
Highlights include the sing along “Weekend Irish” by American folk-rock band Barleyjuice; “Clash of the Ash” by the popular Scottish folk-rock band Runrig; the pro-Irish independence American band Black 47 with an engaging song called “Uncle Jim”; the excellent “Buile Mo Chroí (The Beat of My Heart)” sung in Irish and English by Irish singer-songwriter John Spillane.
Another standout is “Wacko King Hako” by the great Scottish Celtic rock band Peatbog Faeries, one of the finest acts in the genre.
Also notable are Shilelagh Lawb who bring American flavor to the mix on “Meet Me on McLean”, combining Irish music with American folk music; and the song in Gaelic “Sí Do Mhaimeo Í” by renowned Irish band Hothouse Flowers.
Overall, Larry Kirwan’s Celtic Invasion is an impressive introduction to some of the finest acts in the Celtic rock scene in Ireland, Scotland, and North America.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.