This beautiful double album is a tribute to the city of
Kepa Junkera's youth, Bilbao. Mixing traditional and contemporary elements and featuring a truly stellar international cast of musicians (including
Bela Fleck,
Paddy Moloney of
the Chieftains, Fain Dueñas of
Radio Tarifa, and Carlos Beciero of
La Musgana), Bilbao 00:00h is grounded by
Junkera's skillful work on the trikitixa (Basque diatonic accordion). Each song has something to recommend it -- angelic-sounding choruses, lush harmonies, buoyant danceability, and so on, but amongst the 22 tracks, there are also true highlights that rise above and beyond the already excellent standard set by the rest. ~ Stacia Proefrock