Windrose

A fair few classical string quartets – most recently the Danish String Quartet – have developed traditional music side projects. But The Routes Quartet are unusual in being a folk group set up in string quartet format – featuring two violins, viola and cello. These players hail from across the UK and play a mix of arrangements and original tunes that sometimes feel quite classical in their use of developing motifs and ensemble interplay, heard to good effect in their cover of Kathryn Tickell's ‘Fenham’. However their strongest feel is for Scottish folk. Windrose was recorded in the west of Scotland and was produced by fiddler Patsy Reid. The format works. The jigs and reels here have more polish than many groups would bring to bear (the quartet boasts a warm sound) and there are quiet contemplative moments that give the material room to breathe. But the spirit of dance and invention is never far away. ‘Retreat Marches’, a pair of traditional tunes, is a great example, developing from a sombre opening into a joyful swell of sound, with Rufus Huggan's cello driving the music along. An accomplished debut.