It’s always interesting to see where the next Imaginational Anthem compilation will take us, and this fourteenth addition (in time for Tompkins Square’s twentieth anniversary) has hopped us over to one of the traditional music hubs of the world to show us some of the instrumental guitar talent operating in Ireland. Cian Nugent has his hand on the curating tiller and has chosen nine other tracks to sandwich his own little number, the lovely I am Asleep and do not Wake Me, a traditional Irish tune that he learned from a harp arrangement. As you would expect from Cian, the playing here on solo acoustic is finely nuanced and unshowy, with a couple of softly audible knocks on the body giving the sound an intimate feel.
There is an unassuming and modest character to the selection of songs here, with many shorter than two minutes and delivering a tune in its purest form. Take Caoimhe Hopkinson’s version of traditional piece Jamieson’s Favourite, which uses a core acoustic guitar line, played impeccably, with a second guitar track dancing behind it to deliver a beautiful lament. Another lovely miniature is Dublin-based NC Lawlor, who plays his original Laurie Rose. A beautifully sad little fragment that uses a sharp picking style, hammer-ons and string bends to subtly accentuate an elegiac piece of music.
Staying in this more downbeat mood is the ace Cry, Want by guitarist and improvisor Aonghus McEvoy. Taking the spirit of American jazz clarinettist Jimmy Giuffre’s 60s song, Aonghus approaches the music in his own style, changing the nature of the piece and giving it an edgier but more pensive feel that brings in his improvisational methods. A longer song at nearly five minutes, this one creates an atmosphere with drawn-out notes and refrains, string bends and natural reverb. In parts, Marc Ribot and John Fahey, in his more experimental phases, this one is a real killer.
But there is no dud here, as you would expect from a discerning musician like Cian, so it’s tricky to pick highlights, but the joyous Lark in the Morning by Junior Brother (Ronan Kealy) deserves a shout, as does Sean Carpio’s Labour of Love. The former takes one of the most traditional of tunes and has fun shaping it into an energetic acoustic jig, while the latter uses languid electric guitar to craft an atmospheric, late-night setting to finish the album. Bookending this is pedal steel player David Murphy’s take on the pipe tune The March of the King of Laois, a beautifully airy, swirling number that brings hazy summer sun into a 16th-century piece. Played slowly, with plenty of note range, it’s a gorgeous, rangy piece that sets up the album nicely.
As with past compilations in this long-running Tompkins Square series, Imaginational Anthem vol. XIV: Ireland is a wonderfully diverse, quietly exciting set of songs. Alongside those mentioned, Brenda Jenkinson, Damian O’Neil, Mark McKowski and Jerome McGlynn all make valuable contributions to a set that is a testament to the versatility of the guitar and an absolute pleasure to listen to.
Imaginational Anthem vol. XIV : Ireland (October 24th, 2025) Tompkins Square
LP : TSQ 4098
CD : TSQ 4081