Keeping to the theme of Island musicians, let's look at some of the new releases from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Made up of the siblings Heather, Raylene, Cookie, Jimmy and John Morris Rankin, this band has gone from performing traditional Gaelic music to being national stars in both folk and country circles. This is actually my least favorite track, because the traditional song gets lost amid the pop stylings. If you're looking for an introduction to the Rankins, or if you're a diehard fan, this EP serves very well. It certainly shows why MacIsaac is a bit controversial at the moment.
Some tunes feature a classical quartet playing with fiddle, bagpipe and acoustic guitar.
A couple of Gaelic songs written and sung by Mary Jane Lamond are reminiscent of some of the work by Talitha MacKenzie and Mouth Music. As you've guessed, this is about as mixed a bag as you can get. Suffice it to say that the fiddling is excellent, that the adventurous fan of Celtic pop should hear it, and that real traditionalists should probably steer clear. MacIsaac's vocalist Mary Jane Lamond has her own CD as well. Lamond has a lovely clear voice and the album is full of songs that let her use it well.