Maire Ni Chathasaigh is an outstanding harper and her gentle style is complemented well by guitarist Chris Newman, best known for his solo album Fretwork.

Chathasaigh shines on the airs, ‘Molly St George’ with Nollaig Casey on fiddle is stunning and although it’s track six, this is where the album starts for me, as it’s followed by an upbeat number which actually feels upbeat. The solo harp number, ‘An Buachallin Ban’, is heart-wrenching, and the way in which Chathasaigh hangs on the notes lends them fantastic poignancy and emotional depth.

Newman’s guitar on ‘Bright Falls the Air’ is sublime and he shows his range of talents across the album with mandolin, bass and bouzouki, but for the most part his playing is restrained and songs which are played as raucous dance numbers live come across in places a little subdued.

From the opening track ‘Pheasant Feathers’ there’s a feeling of folk-lite in the production, and a sense the edges have been smoothed a little too much. The jigs (John Potts’ and O’Callaghan’s) I wanted to hear played with more energy.

Firewire is released on 29 January by Old Bridge Music.