Away From My Window

Hailing from Aberdeenshire, Iona Fyfe is one of Scotland's finest young ballad singers. With Fyfe's art rooted deeply in the traditions of north-east Scotland, Away From My Window is an excellent collection of traditional songs and a beautiful introduction to the area's ballads. ‘Guise of Tough’ is a familiar song for anyone with an interest in the bothy ballad tradition and is delivered with tenderness and precision by Fyfe. ‘Banks of Inverurie’ is taken from the singing of Shona Donaldson and is a heartfelt sweet lament, which echoes the American folk song ‘The Lakes of Pontchartrain’. The inclusion of samples from archive recordings of Stanley Robertson and Lizzie Higgins highlights Fyfe's deep interest in tradition and are used to great effect on the title-track and ‘Bonny Udny’.

There are some nice nods to more contemporary tunes too. Michael Marra's ‘Take me out Drinking (When these Shoes were New)’ is a sweet song dedicated to the glories of imbibing, while ‘And So Must We Rest’ is a cover of an Aidan Moffat track from 2011. Away From My Window provides an engaging introduction to traditional song of north-east Scotland, delivered by a vocalist with a clear passion for the subject. A fine release.