Rónán O Snodaigh is the singer and bodhránist with Kíla, and the title of his second solo album translates as “Ró’s Waves”. It’s an adventurous concept, an album of a dozen percussion-based songs, richly leavened with Irish language vocal chants and guest offerings from singer Tara Mooney. While more conventional instruments are at a premium, members of the Kíla massive drop in now and then to join the party.
Djembe maestro Ken Samson adds much lustre to the opening track ‘Tine Lasta’ which sets the mood for a trans-continental journey back across the aeons to more primitive musical times. Harpist Cormac De Barra adds subtlety and depth to the infectious ‘Na Dean Darud’, ‘Ciuin’ has echoes of the delicacy of the Incredible String Band, and the closing track ‘On Taobh Tuathail’ is a stunning melange of fifties doo-wop, African rhythms à la Paul Simon and touches of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’.
O Snodaigh’s vocal style, perhaps best exemplified on ‘Didean’, emphasises the percussive qualities of the Irish language as never before. Despite the album appearing to hark back to the roots of man, it also carries a timeless spark that is quite breathtaking at times.
Sure, it’s not in English, but we understood ‘Je T’aime’ didn’t we?