THE HARVEY BROTHERS
The Lads of Laois
Philippe Cousin
The small county of Laois in the centre of the Republic of Ireland, province of Leinster, is much less well known than other counties (Donegal, Sligo, Kerry...) for its musical style. And yet, as is the case everywhere in Ireland, traditional music has acquired its credentials here.
The Harvey Brothers, two musician brothers: Robert on flute and James on banjo and mandolin. Their debut album is The Lads of Laois. A seven-time Irish champion, Robert is a renowned flute teacher who teaches Irish music at Trinity College Dublin. He has already released a solo album in 2020. His younger brother James won four Irish banjo championships and three mandolin titles by the age of 16. He was also a member of the band Goítse, with whom he recorded four albums.
Their debut album is a sixteen-track set featuring Caoimhín Ó Fearghail on guitar, Ryan Molloy on piano and Niall Preston on bodhrán.
It was during the lockdown that they turned their attention to the less popular repertoire of their home county. The result is an introspective selection of tunes that showcase the beauty of the Slieve Bloom mountains that rise so close to home.
The Harvey brothers present the music of their region and its surroundings, combining tunes composed by Seán Ryan, John Brady, Joe Keegan, Jerry O'Sullivan John Nolan and Robert Gleeson with three James tunes (Waltz and Barndances) and a few traditional ones.
As usual, there's a succession of reels, jigs, hornpipes and slides, performed with all the talent of these two young prodigies, who exude a real fraternal synergy. Forty-eight minutes of pure pleasure.
Roundwood Records - www.theharveybrothers.ie