Pop Capsules : Clannad: Hooting and Hollering at the Wiltern

Hearts melt and float off toward the Atlantic when Maire Ni Bhraonain of the Irish group Clannad lets loose her lovely vibrato. The fact that she often sings in Gaelic, a language in which few Angelenos are well-versed, matters little. Her utterly entrancing voice seems airy/wispy and knockout/powerful all at once.

If that seems like a contradiction in terms, consider the amorphous sound of the band itself, which encompasses suggestions of Gregorian chants, traditional Celtic music, Fairport Convention-style folk, Cocteau Twins-style ethereality, new age and soft rock. This blend met with unexpected attendance and receptivity Friday at the Wiltern, site of the band’s first American concert in eight years.

Opening with the delicate, almost a cappella “Caislean Oir,” Clannad was greeted by a hooting and hollering crowd that sounded as if it was fresh from an Irish pub. The effect was not unlike visiting a European cathedral where other tourists are yelling “rock ‘n’ roll!”

Ironically, the few times Clannad actually tried to act and sound like a rock band, the boisterous crowd grew quieter. Greater enthusiasm was reserved for the more acoustic, traditionally rooted material that makes this group something special. And rightfully so.