Another Day

After dabbling with new age fusion while using tunes by Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, and Tom Waits on The Edge of Silence, the Irish-American quintet Solas steps back from that ethereal edge on Another Day, its seventh album. The evolving line-up, led by noted multi-instrumentalist Seamus Egan, emphasizes traditional Celtic music ("It’s Still Raining"/"Carlisle Street Reels") and modern Celtic folk ("I Wandered By A Brookside" and "Just You") with uniformly strong results by gracefully drawing connections between the modern acoustic and traditional elements of Irish music. The band even stretches to incorporate a little bit of gypsy swing on "The Highlands of Holland," some American country music on "All That You Ask Me," and contemporary pop on "Scarecrow’s Dream," which should appeal to fans of Sarah McLaughlan, whose hit "I Will Remember You" was co-written with Egan. The band continually explores different nooks and crannies of Irish music, but this evolution and versatility are so much more fulfilling than if it had just stood still. --Tad Hendrickson