Lilt is a duo comprised of Tina Eck, flute and whistle and Keith Carr on guitar and bouzouki, though he uses cittern and banjo as well. They're based in Washington DC; they are now celebrating ten years on the trot. (Hence the X in this album's title). A trawl of the web reveals them in a fine session with Altan. Other viewings show them providing music for the Culkin dance school, and if you follow that up, you'll find the Sligo connection. And Sligo is one place where they know good flute playing.

We have here 16 tracks of lovely playing. Tina has a strong and forthright tone, and a lovely sense of rhythm that's normally gained by playing for dancing. Keith's bouzouki, which on the spectrum of Lunny to Finn is bathed in the light of Donal, it's punchy, insistent, carving out the rhythmic rockface over which Tina's flute soars and swoops.

Keith begins with a stately Renaissance feel to Old Tom Ennis, and in similar vein there's an Elizabethan flavour to the way he introduces The Orange Rogue. He switches to banjo on Going to Mass Last Sunday and a fine job he does of it too. Tina takes full command of the Morning Dew from the very first notes, the track building both in volume and bravado as it reaches the shift to a higher gear with the Three Sisters Reel. Her tour de force, for me was the track I Love You Not, her tone, technique and command of the tune is masterful here.

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Lilt's X is a model production with proper background notes, very important when about half the tunes are comparative newcomers. So, this is an achievement both for quality of the playing and the material. Don't be looking for a loan of it, either. Nobody would risk it. This is a Lilt with real fizz, platinum quality. Well done!!