Blueflint -‘High Bright Morning’ (Johnny Rock Records)
…Oh yes.
This album has been long awaited in Edinburgh and the wider scottish music scene. The gorgeous bluegrass-folk music duo of the two banjo players Clare-Louise Neilson and her pal, noted actress Deborah Arnott, have been picking up rave reviews over the last wee while and this album shows exactly why.
Over the course of ten songs over thirty six minutes, these sublime original songs cannot fail to move you, cannot leave you untouched. Themes traditional to bluegrass – loss, revenge, sicide, untimely death, and let’s not forget love – are dealt with here. There’s no excess flab here, this is an album that sets out its’ intent from first listen. It’s hard to imagine anyone who could not be touched by the music herein. ‘Takes More Than A Little Time,’ the album’s opener, sets the stall, as one future classic after another follows.
Contributions also come from Roddy Neilson on fiddle, Ian Stoddart on drums (ex-Win, ex-Aberfeldy) and Joey Sanderson on bass. (It’s also rumoured that Ken Macintosh, Edinburgh bass legend and one fifth of Aberfeldy will also be playing bass with them), and helmed by the legendary Jim Sutherland.
Get your hands on this album. It’s one that you’ll want to hear again and again. Yes, Yes…
****1/2
High Bright Morning is released on October 5.
These three tracks are given free on their webpage.
Blueflint webpage/Blueflint myspace
Blueflint -‘Takes More Than a Little Time.’ mp3