Quite a few people could be surprised by Rónán Ó Snodaigh’s debut solo album. While there are large elements of folk present, the arrangements often have more in common with classical rather than traditional music. That said, Ronan’s band Kila have never been comfortably lumped in with the diddly-aye brigade.

To call Tip Toe a solo album, however, is something of a misnomer. Almost all of the 13 tracks feature a golden horde of guests adding some musical meat to the bones of Ó Snodaigh’s compositions. And what compositions they are, from the wonderfully jaunty opening ‘When You’re In Rome’, which finds some Latin American blood coursing around its Irish veins, right through to the closing pizzicato-fest of ‘Bury A Bone’, where Mic Christopher joins Rónán at the mic.

Rónán Ó Snodaigh and Kila number among some of our most talented and innovative songwriters and musicians. It’s a pity that so many so-called music aficionados will continue to neglect them just because their roots are buried in folk and trad – a crime akin to dismissing Will Oldham ‘cos you don’t like Kenny Rogers. Believe me, Tip Toe is one of the finest Irish albums I’ve heard this year, and is every bit as important and inspirational as For The Birds or Free All Angels. So there!