The Light of the Moon

Forged in Orkney in 2015 by Aidan Moodie (vocals and acoustic guitar) and Graham Rorie (fiddle and mandolin), and with the addition of Connor Sinclair (flute) and Craig Baxter (bodhrán and percussion), Gnoss have developed into a formidable quartet with a sensitive ear for traditional tunes and fine musicianship. For The Light of the Moon they are joined by Breabach's James Lindsay on double bass, and a solid addition he is too. The release also marks a new direction for Gnoss, their first fully self-penned album.

Opener ‘Gordon's’ sets a formidable pace, with some swift whistle from Sinclair. ‘Good Crieff’ continues the stride with a frenzy of fiddles, while ‘Becky's’ is a sweet little tune for Rorie's girlfriend. The album concludes with ‘That's Me’, a pulsating finale where each musician is given time to shine. It's not all tunes though. ‘The River’ is reminiscent of Kris Drever in Moodie's vocals and guitar with a nice little sing along chorus, while ‘Cold Clay’ is a playful song on work characterised by Sinclair's bright flute. The 12 tracks on The Light of the Moon demonstrate the band's talent as songwriters and tunesmiths. An exciting and invigorating new direction for the Gnoss boys.