Macalla is hands down one of the strongest albums of Irish family band Clannad. Mournful, delicate, and deliciously down tempo, Macalla bridges the early traditional folk of the band with their later pop leanings, twining largely acoustic accompaniment with lead vocalist Maire Brennan's reflectively pliant pinings. Where early work was all sung in Irish, here all but two tunes are sung in English, effectively blending rooted Celtic musicianship with a more mainstream sound, helped along in no small part by a guest spot from U2's Bono on the evocative pop ballad, "In a Lifetime." Though early era fans may be put off with protestations of sellout, Macalla, next to Anam, is likely the record most appealing to fans on either end of the Clannad spectrum. --Paige La Grone