Roses and Tears

by

Capercaillie

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"Roses and Tears" delivers all you'd expect from the experienced eight-piece ensemble and proves a more than welcome return after a long six-year wait for new material following 2002's "Choice Language".

There are no surprises in this typically polished collection of songs and instrumental sets.

Capercaillie have modernised their sound over the years, but always within the basic context of an essentially acoustic folk line-up augmented by a drumkit and a bit of electric keyboard, and it continues to stand them in good stead in sparkling instrumental sets such as "The Aphrodisiac" and "Rose Cottage Reels".

Dip in anywhere and you'll find something to please and delight.

Karen Matheson's Gaelic singing is well-represented, notably on the lovely "Seinneam Cliù Nam Fear Ùr" (which translates as "I Sing the Praises of the Brave Lads"), a translucently delivered song from the Isle of Skye, which is the vocal highlight of the album - or the Murdo MacDonald-penned "Leodhasach an tir chein" (A Lewisman in a Foreign Country).

She switches to English for a brace of anti-war songs, John Martyn's poignant, impeccable "Don't You Go" and Donald Shaw's "Soldier Boy".

If the gossamer-light vocals of Karen Matheson take centre stage here, its impact is heightened by the crack contributions of her Capercaillie colleagues who play with a consummate, wholly captivating elegance rooted in faultless ensemble.

With splashes of musical decoration including harmony fiddle and uilleann pipes or the attacking triplets of the accordion, the recording will entrance you from beginning to end.

There's no super turbo-charged sets of tunes though they're well capable of cranking up the speeds, the band settle into feel-good grooves such as the "Quimper Waltz" and the more traditional set-piece "The Aphrodisiac".

There are many reasons to applaud this recording not least for the outstanding quality of the production.

Fourteen albums in, the new folk pioneers "Capercaillie" continue to demonstrate why they've been at the forefront of the roots renaissance in their native Scotland for the best part of the last three decades.

Capercaillie are: Karen Matheson - vocals; Donald Shaw - accordian & piano; Manus Lunny - bouzouki; Charlie McKerron - fiddle with Michael McGoldrick - pipes & flutes; Ewen Vernal - bass; Che Beresford - drums & David Robertson - percussion.

Choice Language

There is nobody as good in my opinion at fusing cultural influences and modern techniques into roots music as Capercaillie. That is the only reason this is a disappointing listen. It appears the traditionalist side has finally won out; despite the light jazzy grooves and occasional whiffs of funk here & there, the band has finally succeeded in creating an album even your grandmother can enjoy.

Faint praise indeed for a group who has stretched their boundaries light-years from their roots, embracing electronics, dance, African and Spanish influences as well as stunning ballads, biting pop songs and rave-ups, allowing us to feel their Scot origins with fresh ears. This album is a step back, with essentially-comfortable updates on traditional material, plus a nice pair of anti-war numbers. Karen's voice is respectfully front-and-center, devoid of studio coloring - in fact, the sound is clear and revealing with a soundstage that refuses to cloak any of the instrumentalists.

If this were your first Capercaillie purchase, I would recommend it in a heartbeat. But when you hear the magical things that happen when they reach out to other lands as in "Beautiful Wasteland" and the worldbeat/trip-hoppery that seeps into "Choice Language"...you would suddenly see what makes this excellent disc a mediocre effort for this band.

"Roses And Tears" is really a four-star album. I hate having to dock them one star, but Capercaillie is a six-star ensemble. I'd rather they stop trying to tell me where they come from, and GO someplace again.