Thankfully moving beyond the basic fife and drum, bagpipe-heavy music usually associated with Scottish music, this compilation of folk music swings back and forth between the overly stereotypical ethereal female vocal sound and the contemporary singer/songwriter version of the pipe bands. The album leans a bit toward the ethereal, a bonus for fans of the Celtic Woman phenomenon. However, there's some very interesting fusion between the new and the old here. Tannas' "Sabhal Ia'n Ic Uisdean" seems to have elements of African rhythms in their drumming and singing styles,
Old Blind Dogs use a jittery guitar groove and thumping beat underneath their fairly traditional singing in "Johnny O'Braidsislee," and an almost island-based picking style in "Mormond Braes." Contemporary folk in Scotland has a lot to offer, and as long as listeners can get over their fear of pipes, this one will provide a nice look at those offerings. ~ Adam Greenberg