This paper described Cran's 1998 release, Black, Black, Black, as "challenging". This is exactly what the band aims for in its work, and what makes it so different from the rest. A three-piece, Cran (right) comprises uilleann piper Ronan Browne, flute player Desi Wilkinson and singer/bouzouki player Sean Corcoran. The trio's unusual mixture of lyrical harmonies and intricate rhythms (courtesy of Corcoran's instinctive bouzouki playing and Browne's expert use of regulators) underpins the band's core appeal. Top this off with songs from the vast repertoire of ethnomusicologist Sean Corcoran and you have a stimulating package that takes some beating. Cran's concert at Dublin Castle's Coach House next Wednesday is the first of a 12-date tour organised by Music Network.
