I loved Solas when it came out seven years ago. I think it was a small milepost in the evolution of my listening habits. I still love it. I’m pleased to report that this album is differently but equally great.
We’re still basically in the territory of church-organ-forward classical drone. But where much (though by no means all) of Solas is soaringly anthemic, Saor is a little bit spikier, it’s beauty a little darker. There are more dissonant undertones and overtones colouring the mix. There are intrusions of staticky electricity and skits which seem to be field recordings of the mechanical operation of the instrument. There are also moments elegant simplicity, such as a plaintive clarinet melody repeated over a quiet string harmony. I guess what I’m saying is that this does an excellent job of giving me more of what I love while not feel like it’s just retreading the same old ground, so yay for that.
This is apparently inspired the landscape of the Cairngorms, with several tracks named after mountains there. (Aberdeenshire gets Singer, the Borders get Richard Skelton — it hardly seems fair.) And it’s the first of a planned triptych, which I’m obviously pretty excited about.
I bought this from the artist’s Bandcamp page.
dogrando writes about some records 