John McCusker...Under One Sky(2008)[FLAC]

2009 Under One Sky CD Navigator NAVIGATOR3

1 Under One Sky
2 Will I See Thee More / Hush a Bye
3 Tusa Thileas
4 Long Time Past / Lavender Hill
5 Jigs, Strathspey and Reel
6 All Has Gone
7 Jack Seward's / Boys of the Puddle

Under One Sky harnesses many individual artists in the service of a suite of music with seven distinctive movements. Whether taken together or separately, this release could serve as a primer for anyone wanting to get an inkling as to what makes the contemporary folk scene as exciting as it is.

Originating from a PRS/Arts Council of Scotland commission, with a line-up that includes Julie Fowlis, John Tams, Jim Causley, Roddy Woomble and Graham Coxon handling the vocals, it's clear that violinist John McCusker isn't afraid of big tent musical projects. The presence of uber-accordionist Andy Cutting, Emma Reid (fiddle) and guitarist Ian Carr shows the stellar talent isn't only confined to the singers.

Despite the heavy-duty, high profile line-up, McCusker has assembled, this is a remarkably relaxed affair. 'S Tusa Thilleas is a fifteen minute journey that starts in a gently undulating landscape with the ice-cool beauty of Julie Fowlis' gaelic vocals as the tour guide.

Swirls of pipe and fiddle whip and whittle through time, tragedies and triumphs. The sprightly dance that weaves through the title track wouldn't be out of place in a cheery ceilidh, whilst the yearning enquiry contained in John Tams' Will I See Thee More tugs at the heart.

Blur's Graham CoxonΓΓé¼Γäós pleasantly dead-pan delivery upon the cantering gait of All Has Gone conjures something akin to the wistful pastoralism evoked by by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. As one introverted tune gracefully crosses a bridge into another lively section of reels, the effect is not unlike a gradually unfolding cinema score.

Beyond the obvious Celtic roots, the touches of Hot Club-style chugging guitar and fleeting violin toward the end of 'S Tusa Thilleas, and the Eastern overtones that open the mournful sloping melody of Long Time Past (with a striking performance by Roddy Woomble), remind us that whilst there are many dialects involved, music is one universal language.

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http://dickthespic.org/2010/11/19/john-mccusker/