Fusing traditional Irish music forms with rock and contemporary classical influences, with Ó Lionáird singing in Irish throughout, the group won rapturous critical acclaim, and several awards, for their 2013 eponymous debut album, released on Peter Gabriel's Real World Records.

Produced by Bartlett, better known for his work with indie rock bands such as the National, the album took as its starting point Irish traditional music, but sympathetically augmented it with pop/rock vocal stylings and stunningly beautiful piano arrangements in a post-classical vein. It won the 2014 Meteor Choice Prize for Irish Album of the Year, beating the likes of U2, Sinéad O'Connor, and Damien Rice. The group toured the world, playing at major festivals such as Womad, and selling out London's Barbican arts center. The Gloaming's second album, 2, followed in 2016, going deeper into the tradition but at the same time consolidating and expanding their unique style with subtle post-rock inflections. ~ John D. Buchanan