A’NISH - Way Of The Gull
Purt Sheearan Records PSRCD003
This group’s name apparently means “now”, and the name’s appropriate for a group with a very contemporary approach to their music – often jazzy and syncopated, and reminiscent of a style common in the fairly recent past. Their inspiration’s taken from Scots, Irish and Manx sources, but also roves further afield, which is apparent in several tracks. The musicianship is always proficient and polished, as is the singing - there are four vocal tracks along with the five fairly lengthy instrumentals.
The CD cover advises “file under World/Folk” and for me, I think this illustrates a dilemma: there’s a tendency to fall between two stools, to take inspiration from one tradition and transpose it into another, which works well on occasions, but sometimes feels as if it’s been shoehorned. A notable exception is the song ‘S Ann An Ìle, where a Hebridean air has been seamlessly grafted onto Manx Gaelic lyrics. Today’s Manx folk artistes often seem to look northward for their inspiration – very fruitfully on this track.
The instrumental tracks contained very little in the way of musical fireworks – stuff to make you sit up and listen hard – but were more in the easy listening class, with the musicians obviously at ease with each other and enjoying themselves. With a slightly punchier approach, I think that I, as a listener, would have felt more enthusiastic.
www.anishmusic.bandcamp.com
John Waltham
 |
Many CDs we review are available from The Listening Post. Check to see if this CD is available. The Listening Post is the CD mailorder service of The Living Tradition magazine. This album was reviewed in Issue 126 of The Living Tradition magazine. |