ALBUM REVIEW: Various Artists - 'Borders Tunesmiths'

Various Artists, Borders Tunesmiths



Produced by Shona Mooney, this latest volume in the Borders Traditions series sees nine of Scotland's most gifted traditional musicians, gathered together to produce a collection of new instrumental music, taking inspiration from the Borders region. A diverse collection of instruments, including a delicate harp, a varied selection of strings, the punchy border pipes, and the contemporary rhythmic flamboyance of cajon and stomp box, ensure that the pace and flavour is varied throughout. The fact that the entire project was recorded live on just one night, adds further atmosphere; no mean feat when you consider that the musicians had just four days to rehearse!

"On Auld Lauder Licht" is inspired by the Lauder Light Railway, that once linked small border towns to the the main Waverley Line from Edinburgh to Carlisle. The rhythm of the instruments are deployed intelligently to represent the mechanical nature of the old steam trains that would have ploughed the route, starting out at a saunter before building with speed and purpose. Elspeth Smellie's harp chimes with a graceful eloquence to begin "Write A Bar Or Two," luring the other musicians to join her in an ensemble of discerning elegance. "Harp vs. Accordion" finds jazz-soaked guitar flourishes from Innes Watson setting the backdrop for Christopher Keatinge's lithe accordion, in a set that begins with flavours of the continent, while Smellie's harp ripples politely in the background. Martin Marroni's reading of the Border poet W. H. Ogilvie's "The Hill Road to Roberton," is absolutely sublime, with an understated charm and authenticity that is matched by Marroni's subdued composition that beautifully underscores his plaintive voice.

"Cheese Well" completes proceedings; a collaborative composition of three tunes written by all nine musicians. "Hume Castle" begins the set with a suitably commanding grace, winding towards the more muscular melody of the closing tune, "Waverley Route," where the combined resonance of the strings and border pipes give a wonderfully replete sound. The set ends to an understandably rapturous round of applause from the audience.

The decision to record this project as a live concert pays dividends, retaining an air of spontaneity that genuinely brings a touch of magic to the whole recording. This is music that beams with pride, and the celebratory nuances make it impossible not to enjoy.

Visit the Borders Traditions website for more details!

ALBUM REVIEW: Sean Taylor - 'Calcutta Grove'

Sean Taylor, Calcutta Grove



Talented singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Sean Taylor, has crafted an album of dark, understated beauty with Calcutta Grove. With a minimalist approach to the arrangement and production, Calcutta Grove is a whispering, bluesy album with an eerie and intoxicating atmosphere that agitates the mind like an evening spent with a good bottle of whiskey. Taylor credits John Martyn as being one of his influences, and Calcutta Grove owes much to the musical meanderings of Martyn with its extemporaneous, discordant leanings, and in particular, Taylor's mesmerising guitar technique.

Taylor sings with a smooth reticence on the absorbing title track that opens the album, departing from this serenity momentarily for a stifled, tormented howl that hints at an inner disquiet. "Revelations" follows with a funky blues-drenched rhythm that carries a cool charm, yet still retains an air of nonchalance. The angry, domineering distortions of an electric guitar break the peace quite dramatically on the short instrumental interlude of "Salvo," that nicely punctuates the otherwise tranquil ambience.

There are a couple of nods back to Taylor's own heroes with a kaleidoscopic treatment of Skip James' "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues," and a robust reading of the traditional spiritual "Motherless Child," referred to here as "Freedom" in recognition of Richie Havens' celebrated improvisation.

Lyrically, it would seem that Taylor is something of a man of mystery, with abstract allusions that will fuel much interpretation. With the recent passing of John Martyn, there is a void in music that could well be filled by Sean Taylor. This is timeless music where every element is a well-thought, carefully crafted addition to an overall work of art. Repeated listens reward with subtleties, buried between the sweeping layers of sound, that you may not catch immediately. Calcutta Grove may well be the most relaxing, chilled-out music you will here this year.

Visit Sean's website here!

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ALBUM REVIEW: Fiona J Mackenzie - 'A Good Suit Of Clothes'

Fiona J Mackenzie, A Good Suit Of Clothes
(Greentrax Recordings, 2009)



A Good Suit Of Clothes is an absorbing recording, that primarily acts as a showcase for Gaelic songs of emigration, bringing together native Gaelic songs, alongside those written by the emigrants themselves in distant corners of the world such as Novia Scotia and Australia. The songs collected here are largely traditional, though a number of contemporary compositions sustain the echoes of the past.

It is testament to the varied experience of producer, Irvine Duguid, that he has crafted the most exquisite arrangements, remaining faithful to the spirit of the material, whilst gracing them with an overall sound that manages to be subtle, sumptuous and elegant. Fraser Fifield, Mary Ann Kennedy and Anna Massie are amongst the impressive cast of musicians who perform on the album, lending strong traditional credentials, yet ensuring there are subtle contemporary nuances that will appeal beyond the traditional genre boundaries. The final touch of beauty is provided by the chaste and lucid vocals of Fiona Mackenzie, whose singing demands your immediate attention, demonstrating a manifest affinity to the songs that allows her to tease out the gamut of sentiments that permeate the material.

A Good Suit Of Clothes is by no means a one-sided story and the songs presented here yield stories of hope, desperation and longing. An interesting perspective considered on a number of occasions is the cultural dislocation suffered by emigrants, who found that their new life was compromising the future of their language and culture. In "A' Choille Ghruamach" (The Gloomy Forest) the Tiree Bard, John MacLean, fears for the loss of his Gaelic and finds loneliness in the fact that nobody asks him to sing his music.

The common woes of emigration obviously feature highly, with songs that speak of pining for home and lost loved ones. One of the most heartbreaking songs is "Tha Thu Beò Nam Anamsa" (You Are alive In My Soul), a contemporary song telling the story of an elderly lady recalling the emigration of her childhood sweetheart. Her sweetheart was never to return as he had promised, and the lady never married. These stories of sadness are balanced by "Dèan Cadalan Sàmhach" (Sleep Quietly), a lullaby where a mother promises her baby that a better life awaits them in America, or on " 'Illean Bithibh Sunndach" (Boys Be Happy), a song that buoys the spirits of those departing for the new world.

"Tilleadh an Eilthirich" (Return of the Wanderer) brings the subject full circle, being written in 1975 by Archie Mackenzie of Halifax, whose forefathers had emigrated from Barra. Mackenzie writes with enthusiasm for his first journey to Barra and talks of the emigrants' legacy that lives on in the new world, where their ancestors still proudly uphold the language and music. Fiona is joined here by Cathy Ann MacPhee and their interpretation is intertwined with archive recordings of Mackenzie himself, marking a fitting close to the album.

As a collection of music alone, A Good Suit Of Clothes makes for a thoroughly enjoyable listen, with exquisite arrangements and the absolute delight of Fiona Mackenzie's singing. Those willing to dig a bit deeper will uncover an interesting and heartfelt tribute to Gaelic emigrants and gain some understanding of the personal and cultural sacrifices involved, at a time when emigration was more often than not, a permanent, one-way journey. A Good Suit Of Clothes serves to maintain the memory of these personal journeys.

Visit Fiona's website here!

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ALBUM REVIEW : Catherine MacLellan - 'Water In The Ground'

Catherine MacLellan, Water In The Ground
(True North Records, 2009)



Water In The Ground is an album lightly infused with country music sounds, wrapped up in a breezy, summery production that proves to be deliciously contagious, making repeated listens absolutely essential. This third album from the Canadian singer-songwriter finds her ploughing a furrow not dissimilar to Mindy Smith, though with hints of darker undertones that owe more to the likes of Lucinda Williams.

Opening with the 1950s rockabilly sound of "Take A Break," conjuring up images of poodle dresses, vintage jukeboxes and coffee shops, MacLellan instantly demonstrates the potential for a catchy, radio-friendly hit. This sound is revisited later on "Not Much To Do (Not Much To Say)," with a dominant double bass lending solid rhythms, whilst MacLellan's voice offers a bluesy indifference. The uplifting, gospel-soaked harmonies of "Set This Heart on Fire" also carry nuances of a similar vintage.

MacLellan also offers a more contemporary, carefree country-pop, with the title track offering a first glimpse of MacLellan's romantic optimism: "all the snow will melt into the stream / leading me back to where I want to be." Further reassurance emerges on "Everything'll Be Alright," a number that soothes and comforts with insouciant hopefulness: "don't you worry any more / we'll let the rain fall, we'll let the sun shine / and everything'll be alright."

These buoyant offerings punctuate MacLellan's otherwise wistful, confessional material with songs that immediately set your toes tapping, though the more introspective numbers offer their own dark beauty. "All Those Years" takes a doleful backwards glance to a life left behind: "but it's someone else's now / and the ghosts of my past just drift on alone." MacLellan returns to a similar viewpoint on "Again From The Start," vowing not to return to the road already travelled, yet rueful of the loneliness that life's journey sometimes deals, and seemingly looking for a helping hand.

Included with Water In The Ground is MacLellan's début album, Dark Dream Midnight, previously only available by mail order, and a much more sparse and melancholic affair. It is this effortlessness with which MacLellan moves between styles that promises much in the way of longevity and versatility for this accomplished songwriter.