Up In The Air - Moonshine

2012 studio album

Moonshine - Up In The Air

the bright young folk review

Moonshine is the long-awaited follow up to The Blue Lamp and Up In The Air from the trio made up of Jonny Hardie, Gavin Marwick and Davy Cattanach. The album mainly consists of tunes from the Scottish tradition, with the addition of three original songs by Cattanach and a version of Peter Stott’s Woe Is Me.

The trio are fantastic musicians, with some beautiful violin lilts in the slow air Braighe Lochall and the combination of the two fiddles in The Diamond Reel. However, unfortunately the album is somewhat lacking in variation; the tunes are often of a similar structure and are missing that extra bit of excitement that is hinted at in The Diamond Reel/Fair Fa’ the Minstrel but never quite followed through on.

Cattanach’s songs Today and The Witch of Findrack are the stronger two songs on the album, with some great vocal harmonies. Today especially has a pleasantly reflective quality to it, with the violin pizzicato and guitar rhythms creating a gentle accompaniment which provides an interesting contrast to the other tracks on the album.

Those who like their folk music to be simply arranged and kept true to tradition will no doubt enjoy this album, however others may find it needs a little more excitement and variation.

Lizzi Michael

Self released 2012.

1. Rector at the Feis / Spped Bomb baby / There’s Naebody Tae Blame But Ma Sel’ / Wings of a Scorie
2. Today
3. Culduthel House / Eileen Curren’s
4. Garrett Barry’s
5. Touch Not the Cat But a Glove / The Broad Reach / Salton de Meres / Scott Skinner’s Compliments to Dr MacDonald
6. Woe is Me
7. Mr and Mrs Alex Ross / The 32nd Guards Brigade
8. The Witch of Findrack
9. Braighe Lochiall
10. The Diamond Reel / Fair Fa’ the Minstrel
11. Spiked Your Drink
12. Thomas McElvouge’s / The Barra Boys / Dark Days

Up In The Air discography