Thirteen tracks of Ó Connor's own tunes, played in his seemingly effortless way, and not a dud amongst them. Not that you'd expect such a thing from a box player who's become a voice for the instrument. This is stylish stuff from the West of Ireland, Máirtín Ó Connor style. I've been listening for influences but can't find anything obvious; he's his own man with his own style of playing. It's not the pure drop but does it have to be? Coming from me, that verges on heresy but I don't care. This is a natural evolution, without any of the excuses that lesser musicians make for moving away from the older styles. To describe Shop Street as a 'swing jazz elongated hornpipe' might sound odd, but it's a good tune. And it's dedicated to the great Joe Derrane. Mazurkas, a czardas, reggae influence, a Venusian Waltz; there's a lot of fun to be had. And some thoughts to be provoked, because Ó Connor isn't doing this just because he can. He's offering a slightly different angle without making specious claims about it.

Some of "the usual suspects" feature on all sorts of instruments, including Hammond organ, saxes and flugelhorn. One vocalist's name puzzles me though: Kevin Hough. That Kevin Hough; the theatrical producer? The terror of inept performers, whose "Next!" sounded like a death sentence? Surely not!

Mick Furey