Silvery Moon
Aoife is the daughter of and niece of members of theClancy Brothers, the U.S.-based Irish stars of the '60s folk craze. Although she has clearly inherited the family preference for acoustic music, her approach owes more to the current crop of female singer-songwriters than to her Aran-sweatered forebears. Even when singing traditional material, she's an everywoman who could be from anywhere; her style doesn't owe a great debt to any single nationality. Her flowing alto is framed by tranquil, well-crafted acoustic arrangements; the sequences with a solo piano are especially effective. She has chosen an eclectic set list, which includes Australian poet Henry Lawson, theWeavers, andRon Kavana. The closing duet with her dad is a charmer, but the most unforgettable track is "Across the Blue Mountains," an Appalachian ballad on which she displays an atypically gritty edge.--Christina Roden