Trig

Fresh-faced Scottish contemporary folk band Tannara's debut is a sprightly and infectious release, comprising a nice mix of traditional tracks with some well-chosen covers. Although gathered from the four corners of Scotland, the band has a clear west coast and islands vibe to them.

Opener ‘Bill and Jill’ captures the accomplished taste of what characterises Trig, with a refreshing and exciting blend of fiddle, harp, guitar and accordion. Focusing more on traditional English tunes than Scottish ones is an intriguing move, and one that delivers some nifty successes. ‘Queen Jane’ is a particularly moody track, with Sinclair's dark voice and solo accordion accompanied by Rachel Newton's sublime harp. There is also a splendid cover of the Cape Breton ‘When First I Came to Caledonia’, with a particular Scottish nuance to the Nova Scotia set song. There is certainly a tinge of Rura here, especially in Owen Sinclair's vocals on ‘Three Ravens’, which is no bad thing, but which perhaps smacks a little of over-familiarity. However, there is no denying the musicianship and experimentation on show here. Atmospherically produced by Newton, Trig is a little gem and one which shows much promise from Tannara. A band to catch live if you can.