I was not ready for this. Upon pressing play, a cascade of fiddles, acoustic guitars and never-ending arpeggios wrapped me into a Celtic-flavoured, Folk-heavy sonic panorama – that’s ‘Unburnt Viola’. A wonderful track, it will greatly resonate with any traditional listener out there. It functions as a manifest of intent before the album moves on to eclectic and alternative territories. ‘Wishing Well’ is instantly more modern, incorporating electric guitars and a full drum kit.
Defined as an alt-folk outfit, Seán R. McLaughlin & The Wind-Up Crows pack ‘Goodnight, Lad’ with hypnotising sonic goodness, showcasing all the quirky qualities making the Scottish group such a powerful offering. Essentially, McLaughlin ties an imaginary line between hyper-traditional instrumentation – think fiddles and rare guitars – with heaps of modern and foreign tools, such as electric instruments but also a harmonica, for instance.
Crowning it all, we find Seán’s evocative and cathartic vocal tone, helping the listeners navigate the nuanced and varied storytelling behind such a powerful record. Obvious is the connection with the bucolic imagery from Mclaughlin’s hometown, the tiny island of Bressay in the Shetland islands.
Recommended! Discover ‘Goodnight, Lad’ on Spotify:
