In the '80s and '90s, artists ranging from
Luka Bloom and
Susan McKeown, to
the Pogues, have done their part to keep Irish/Celtic music growing by combining it with rock and/or pop. But traditional Irish/Celtic music still has its place, and
Patrick Street has been a solid and very consistent source of Celtic traditionalism.
Street is to Bloom what Talip Ozkan is to Turkish pop -- the band keeps alive the musical traditions that paved the way for what today's innovators are doing. Corner Boys underscores the group's reliable nature. Turning its attention to time-honored jigs, reels and folk ballads,
Street lives up to its reputation for excellence. Singer/bouzouki player
Andy Irvine is as expressive and charismatic as ever on traditional ballads like "Moorlough Shore" and "Sweet Lisbweemore," and
Kevin Burke has many inspired moments on the fiddle. Corner Boys isn't innovative or experimental, but it's richly satisfying. ~ Alex Henderson