AH!

Trad.Attack! is the latest group to combine traditional folk music styles with a contemporary approach. Formed by a trio of musicians who have been involved with the Estonian folk music scene for over 15 years, their full debut AH! is an expansive and rewarding listen. Each of the 12 tracks draws from archival recordings and poems, grounding the work in a traditional legacy, yet providing the basis to explore further afield. The inspiration is vast and unusual, too: from an incantation for butter-making, to songs about sleepwalking.

It feels like a collective effort. All three contribute vocals, and each player has their chance to shine. Tõnu Tubli provides the album's heartbeat; he's an incredibly proficient drummer, who deftly negotiates the continued switches in feel. This is most notable on ‘Tuna-Tuna’, with its entrancing cyclical pattern, and on the lurching ‘Toru-uss’; both benefit from Sandra Sillamaa's Estonian bagpipe providing the principal melody. There's also some particularly good 12-string guitar playing by Jalmar Vabarna on the wonderful ‘Must Madu’. This is an exciting and refreshing take on Estonian folklore, from a talented group of musicians.