'At First Light' Album Reviews

Mike McGoldrick and John McSherry
'At First Light'


Voted best traditional album of the year 2001
- Irish American News.

"Listen more than once
and you'll ford rivers in search
of the live equivalent"
Irish Times (2001)

"A terrific, breezy album"
Fintan Vallelly - Sunday Tribune (2001)

"Phew, what a scorcher"
Colin Irwin - froots magazine (2001)
 
"This, I must admit has been on my most wanted list since I first heard it being promoted some months ago. I won't go into the historical background of the artists here, just to say that when you get a combination of this quality who can fail? Well, to be perfectly honest no one! The music is performed with the panache and integrity you would expect from two of the folk worlds finest. The choice of tunes is first class with a mix of traditional and contemporary and the accompaniment provided by Donald Shaw, Manus Lunny and Andy White amongst others is a true study in the art of restraint. Michael and John should be well pleased with this recording and might I suggest, if you're looking for an acoustic nirvana this is probably the album for you. Driven, but not in your face this album sits nicely behind the old cliche '...the iron behind the velvet'."
Pete Fyfe - Folking.com (July 2001)
"This is a 'back to roots' recording from two top-class young musicians who've been experimenting with a more modern sound... At First Light opens with a musical manifesto: a combination of the best of Irish music, old and new, with a broad definition of Irish... There are some lovely guitar breaks and the two understated slow pieces 'Doinna' and 'The Road to Taynuilt' are simply beautiful. To cut a long story short, it's all fabulous. If you've ever wished there were two Lunasas, your wish has come true with this CD. If you want to know the best way to spend 43 minutes, this could be it. If you find 'At First Light', buy it."
Alex Monaghan - Irish Music Magazine (Sept 2001)
   
 
"Michael McGoldrick and John McSherry are both acknowledged masters of their art. Both began playing pipes and/or whistles whilst still in single figures age-wise and both have been part of some seriously influential groups over the last few years: Toss the Feathers, Tamalin, Flook, Coolfin, Capercaillie and Lunasa... It's usually the first track on a CD that indicates whether you're in for a treat or not, but with this album the second track outshines the first. In fact, The Rolling Waves set rolls along with a markedly sexy swagger in its step! On track 3, Doinna, McSherry's bending and sliding of the notes on his uilleann pipes is wonderful. There are notes here to sublimely twist your eardrums and send shivers down your spine, enticing you back for more... Both are very distinctive players who complement each other perfectly - Mike gets a tone out of his flutes and whistles that has a definite and unique McGoldrick sound, whilst John conclusively demonstrates his virtuoso status in the art of uilleann piping."
Kit Bailey - BBC Folk Review
"Two luminaries of the modern Celtic scene get together for the first time, and the results are quite magical. The mix of flute, whistles, and uillean pipes that the two can muster is quite fulfilling, and the musicianship is mesmerizing, the backing never intrusive. The command of traditional music is total, while the modern material, like "Ornette's Trip To Belfast" and "Farewell To Whalley Range," which draw from many traditions, from Breton to Irish-American, work perfectly well within the structures. All instrumental, the ideas never flag, as McGoldrick and McSherry urge each other further, whether on the pace of the opening "Farewell To Connaught" or a slower air. Quite possibly the state of the current Celtic art."
Globalvillageidiot.net - Review
"Michael McGoldrick and John McSherry have been playing together in sessions since the early '90s, and it shows in the remarkable musical empathy which characterises "At First Light"... The musicianship is, as you might expect, quite stunning; even if you feel that a little of the average Irish session goes a long way, you'll marvel at the tightness of these performances. Production is by McGoldrick, McSherry and Shaw, and it's apparent that they can do as effective a job behind the glass as in front of the mics. It's unlikely you'll come across a finer CD in the genre this year."
Dave Tuxford - Living Tradition