Symbiosis

Ross Ainslie and Ali Hutton are two of the most competent and accomplished pipe and whistle players on the current Scots trad scene. Their new album, mainly comprising self-penned tunes but with some pleasing covers, is a gentle and agreeable affair.

Openers ‘Sisters’ and ‘Smiler’ illustrate the soft but pleasant tone of the album. It is only really with track three, ‘Grans’, on which Hutton takes to the Highland pipes, that a little bit of passion comes into play. ‘Pongu’ is a fun set of tunes penned by Ainslie; Hutton proves to be a fine writer with ‘Wan’. The shadow of the much-missed and influential piper Gordon Duncan looms large over the boys’ work, so it is no surprise to hear them cover Duncan's ‘Fourth Floor’, in a pared-down but feisty version accompanied by Martin O’Neill on bodhrán.

Beautifully played and produced, Symbiosis is a pleasing set of tunes. There is perhaps little to entice new audiences here and at times the playing is too placid, too relaxed to excite the listener. But there is no doubt that the boys are a duo to watch.