A Drop for Neptune

A Drop for Neptune marks the debut album for Glasgow based six-piece TRIP, and it’s an album steeped in the sounds and tunes of the Celts, with a focus on Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man representing the homelands of the band members.

‘September Sea’ sets the scene well with a pacey and invigorating traditional Scottish tune delivered with verve through some feisty accordion and fiddle. Indeed, the sea provides the focus for many of the traditional, and self-penned, tracks on the album. Manx fiddler Isla Callister’s ‘Turning Tides’ is a sweet little song, sung with sensitivity by Alasdair MacKenzie, while ‘The Ninth Wave’ picks up the pace with a frenzied set of reels. Closer, ‘Towards the Storm’ blends flute and accordion; it starts calmly before concluding in a flurry of piano, bodhrán, guitar and fiddle. A Drop for Neptune is a fine and accomplished debut, and TRIP are an exciting new act on the Scots music scene. A talented collection of musicians with a considered approach to the blending of the traditional with the contemporary, the band are treading a fertile path. One to watch.