The River

The River is Napier's first solo album, and a rather intriguing and exciting one it is too. Napier is a well-known and accomplished contributor to the Scots music scene: a multi-instrumentalist who plays piano, keyboards, flutes and whistles. But here, his talented musicianship and tune writing really come to the fore. He has attracted some impressive guests for the release, including Sarah Hayes on alto flute and Martin O’Neill on bodhrán, but the majority of instruments (whistles, wooden flutes, piano, harmonium, clavinet and others) are played by Napier himself.

Inspired by the River Spey, Napier takes us on a unique journey, meditating upon its sights and sounds. ‘The Mayfly’ captures the mating dance of this remarkable creature through the peaks and troughs of Napier's flute, while the piano and clavinet of ‘The River’ echoes the grand sweep of the Spey as it meanders its way from the Monadhliath Mountains to the sea. It's not just the nature of the area that is explored, ‘The Drowning of the Silver Brothers’ takes its dark, atmospheric, narrative from the tale of the kelpie while ‘Floating’ sees Napier in an almost jazz-funk mood, taking his Rhodes piano for a rather playful trip. A beautifully personal history of the artist's favourite place.