"The Barn House Sessions" by High and the Lo Road
On September 17, 2025, High and the Lo Road released their latest EP, “The Barn House Sessions.” The album consists of four songs, all of which are live versions of songs they have recorded in the past. The band released their first album in 2023. Since then, they have released a series of singles. “The Barn House Sessions” is their second album, although it is an EP.
High and the Lo Road are an Ontario-based duo that plays Celtic music, from Celtic-inspired Canadian folk music to traditional music from the Celtic nations. The duo consists of Lauren Halász, who does songwriting, vocals, bass, and bodhrán, and Colin McMahon, who does songwriting, arrangement, production, guitar, mandolin, and bouzouki. They also have additional musicians perform with them.
Their live version of “Star of the County Down” is on track with the versions of the most popular renditions out there, from Celtic Thunder to the High Kings. On a personal level, anyone who knows me knows that this is one of my favorite songs, and I even love songs that are set to the tune but have different lyrics.
Live recordings are a bit difficult to capture sound-wise. The vocals on this album are strong, but they are a bit on the louder side, especially compared to the background vocals. However, the album does capture the beautiful acoustics of wherever they recorded the album. It is unclear if there was an audience, but if so, they are not heard in the songs on the album. The live recording, compared to the band’s previous recordings, has a fuller sound that comes from performing live, especially if the acoustics were different.
This album is a great album who may be newer listeners of the band. “Star of the County Down” is the most famous song on the album, and this is a good segue into the rest of their music. Since the EP is only four songs, it is a great way to sample the band’s style and sound. Keep in mind that live albums have a different mixing than regular albums, so judge carefully in that regard.
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