Description
For the past 30 years, Capercaillie have revived and reworked Gaelic traditional music, while introducing new songs and exploring new musical settings. It has been a bold, sometimes uneven project that has seen them experimenting with synthesisers and programmed drums, but this anniversary set is a reminder of their exquisite acoustic work. It’s dominated by the fine, pure vocals of Karen Matheson, who is equally at ease with rapid-fire “mouth music” as she is with an emotional Gaelic lament about a 17th-century drowning, and there is classy backing from a band that includes pianist Donald Shaw, of Celtic Connections fame, and master flautist and piper Michael McGoldrick. There are contributions from Scotland’s new folk elite, including Julie Fowlis and members of Lau, and there’s still an experimental edge, with a dash of jazzy brass added in mannligapotek.com/.
