Fairich

Whyte hail from Aberdeen and Mull and comprise the electronic composer and the Gaelic singer-songwriter Ross and Alasdair Whyte. They have given us a curious yet enticing debut in Fairich (meaning to ‘Awake’ or ‘Stir’). The material is mainly traditional songs, and there are clear links to Martyn Bennett and Sigur Rós, which is no bad thing. Opening with the haunting yet chilled ‘Gaoir’, based on the traditional Gaelic song ‘The Wall of the Mull Women’, the album slowly reveals its treats with rather fetching vocals from Alasdair mixed with Ross’ graceful compositions.

‘Fauim an Taibh’ (The Ocean’s Sound), recorded partly in a cave below Dunnottar Castle, is a hypnotic elegy while the title-track uses recordings from the late 1930s to flavour the traditional waulking song. ‘Cumha Ni Mhic Raghaill’ (The Sister’s Lament) is the most traditionally delivered track on the album, focusing on Alasdair’s vocals in a dark lament.

The self-penned ‘Cionran’ (Melancholy) concludes, summing up the atmospheric vibe. Moody and alluring, Fairich is nicely produced and an ideal album to chill out to, but perhaps a little too subdued.