Celtic rock band the Elders were formed in Kansas City in 1998, MO, by singer/percussionist Ian Byrne, a native of County Wicklow, Ireland. Phillips was Kansas City Celtic rockers The Elders declare themselves as being purveyors of “arse-kicking music from the heartland”. Their fifth studio album, Gael Day, gives loud testimonial to their self-assessment. The strength of this album lies in the ability of the band to write songs which blend great melody and harmony, a pulsing beat, a jaunty tempo, and a fantastic storytelling voice. The ‘Gael’ in the album title refers to the study of things Gaelic. As is expected with Elders albums, each song tells a story based around Irish topicality in the largest sense. Generally speaking, the tunes on this album share those Irish characteristics with the musical attributes mentioned previously.