John Doyle

Guitarist Doyle’s first solo CD is less “neo” than his work with Solas, the Celtic supergroup he recently left. It features a staple of good friends, all-star players in the stateside Irish-music scene. Doyle’s percussive, uptempo accompaniment is instantly recognizable; he also exhibits deft fingerpicking on the dual-tracked (guitar and bouzouki) set of reels “The Hungry Rock/The Sleuce Gate/Evening Comes Early.” Doyle sings nine traditional tunes here, and though his voice isn’t on par with his instrumental prowess, it’s entirely serviceable. Doyle’s especially potent on the angry “Crooked Jack,” a tale of 19th-century English exploitation of Irish workers sung to the tune of “Star of the County Down,” which features fine clawhammer banjo from Stearns.