Focus
2021: The Music Boom is Coming
What a year 2020 was. When it began, the outlook for the music industry hadn't looked so good in decades. Then came Covid-19, the industrial equivalent of a comet hurtling in from deep space. As we emerge into 2021, it's time for some damage assessment. What exactly has been destroyed? Who has benefitted from lockdowns? What has changed for good? And, asks Gareth Murphy, now that vaccines are arriving, can the music business bounce back even stronger than before, and what do those in the industry need to focus on?
The Continuing Journey of Martin Hayes
Martin Hayes’ livestreamed concert from the National Concert Hall last week (8 December) gave an insight into the changing music of the fiddle-player, and revealed new collaborative directions. Toner Quinn reviews. 
Risks in the Wild
Composer Ian Wilson's new album 'Wild is the Wind' has just been released on Diatribe Records. Adrian Smith reviews. 
Right Words, Unlikely Places
Dublin rap artist Nealo's debut album 'All the Leaves Are Falling' reflects poetically on suburban monotony, social struggles, travel and time passing. Andrea Cleary reviews. 
Telepathic Document at the Edge
Danny McCarthy and Mick O’Shea (The Quiet Club) have recently released 'The Telepathic Lockdown Tapes' on Cafe OTO’s Takuroku label. Anna Murray reviews. 
Choruses that Cry Out for a Crammed Venue
Rap artist JYellowL has just released his debut album '2020 D|Vision', a collection that tears down the semantic barriers between the political and the personal. Andrea Cleary reviews. 
The Interplay of Light and Dark
Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin and Ultan O’Brien's new traditional and experimental album probes the soundworld between voice, fiddle and viola. Adrian Scahill reviews. 
Is It Time to Separate Irish Traditional Music from Irishness?
‘Trad Nation’, a new book by fiddle-player and scholar Tes Slominski, questions how ‘Irish’ Irish traditional music is in a postnational music scene, and makes the case for separating the genre from ethnic nationalism. Helen Lawlor reviews. 
Understanding the Core Tradition
The latest release from the traditional music label Raelach Records is its very first compilation album, featuring Noel Hill, Aoife Ní Bhriain, Pádraic Keane and Nell Ní Chróinín. Toner Quinn reviews. 
No Obstacle for Erraught Online
The Irish mezzo Tara Erraught performed on 15 November at Dublin Castle as part of Irish National Opera's livestream series, Mezzo Masterpieces. Brendan Finan reviews.