CLANNAD

Perhaps Clannad's eponymous debut would better be titled Pre-Clannad. It's the only studio product from their fleeting pre-historical era. The band's unique repertoire based on reworked and re-arranged traditional songs sung in Gaelic is already here, but the musicians are just on the way to their signature manners, especially in instrumentation and arrangement. Rocky drumming and bass playing rather remind classic UK folk rock bands (not only Fairport Convention as other reviewers fairly note, but also Bread, Love & Dreams and even Dando Shaft) than Clannad. And there's no genuine Clannad's magic in the sound yet. Apart from traditional songs, the track list includes one song composed by the band members (Liza), one written by the famous Irish guitarist Mick Hanly (An Phairc), and the 1960s international hit Morning Dew worn out by a lot of artists including Grateful Dead and Nazareth... Well, in brief, the band is just on the way to itself. But for a debut album, this one is great nevertheless.