High Rise

The debut album from a Scottish fiddler and composer whose ‘Fiddle Tune a Day’ YouTube project presented a new tune every day for a year, is an eclectic, mostly instrumental mix of folk and jazz, nominally inspired by cityscapes (hence such track titles as ‘Bleecker Street/The Busker’). Although there are a number of additional musicians featured, playing clarinet, whistle and accordion, the core group constitutes Grubb on fiddle, viola and mandolin, Corben Lee on piano, and guitarist Daniel Whitting, all three of whom trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. There are no lyrics, although there is singing; this vocals-as-instrument technique is heard to greatest effect at the beginning of ‘Milestone’.

Some listeners may find frustrating the album's tendency to open up intriguing paths only to abandon them – or at least so it seems – mere moments later. But that's also the main strength of the album: its music is constantly shape-shifting while maintaining a distinctly Scottish bent.