aaamusic | On 24, Jul 2011

This is an excellent album from Battlefield Band, a talented, award winning quartet that’s been part of the Scottish musical establishment for over four decades. Internationally recognised, they originate from the Glasgow suburb of the same name.

 

Hugely talented and exciting, they continue to fuse ancient and modern traditional music and song. Traditional music lovers will find great colour, freshness and expressiveness in their work. In contemporary terms, they’re great composers and interpreters of Celtic music.

 

Adventurousness may be the key to their success. They’re always experimenting with music by interesting combinations of pipes, fiddle, piano, whistle, guitar, and cittern (the medieval mandolin).

 

Live, they’ve had great praise on their invigorating and dynamic USA, Canadian & UK tours. With a line-up that’s always evolving, they move on, reinvent, build on past successes and consistently produce quality albums.

 

There’s superb bagpipe playing by Mike Katz and impressive duelling fiddles from Alasdair White. Sean O’Donnell  is a fine singer and guitarist.

Alan Reid , who helped create the original band, is no longer with it but Scottish multi-instrumentalist Ewen Henderson, the latest group member has been quickly integrated. We will remember Alan Reid for his fine angry song about the banking crisis.

Discover the vibrant and fiery rhythm of the opening track Raigmore , then go on to discover the rest of this strong and enthusiastic album.

 

Author: Anthony Weightman