Breabach - The Desperate Battle of the Birds

The long-awaited second album from Breabach titled The Desperate Battle of the Birds is due for release on 22nd March. Breabach caught the attention of Folk Radio UK and many celtic folk music fans back in 2007 with release of their debut album “The Big Spree”. They had a very clear Scottish stamp on their work thanks to a great line-up as well as a double bagpipes. That aside, they have a boundary-pushing streak that they continue to pull off in style.

They demonstrate that their two-year hiatus has paid dividends on this latest folk music venture. The album is a big jump from their debut and has a greater versatility and diversity in the tempo and style of their music to make it a great folk music album to listen to from beginning to end. Ewan Robertson and Patsy Reid demonstrate their fine vocals on some tracks that they have clearly put a lot of thought into in their selection.

Ewan works some lovely magic on David Francey’s “Greenfields”. He has a relaxed style that is perfect for a Francey song and he feels right at home on this one. It continues in the same thread with Patsy’s cover of a Dougie MacLean classic, “Rescue Me”. Anyone who chooses to cover a Dougie MacLean song takes some risk in that many people will be familiar with his voice singing it. Patsy does it credit and introduces a whole new perspective.

I could write about every track on the album but I must mention Ewan’s cover of “Shoals of Herring”, a song I never tire of having first heard Ewan McColl sing it on the Radio Ballads album. Having heard it covered by many folk artists I was unsure of its inclusion…how wrong could I be? It works perfectly with the Breabach treatment.

The instrumentals don’t go short on impressive either with the fine piping of Donal Brown and Calum MacCrimmon and Duncan Lyall on double bass…as well as Patsy on fiddle and viola and Ewan on guitar… what better than a exciting grand finale of “Good Drying”, a class piping track that’s bound to get anyone’s feet dancing, Ewan’s guitar intro is irresistible as you know what’s coming!

Breabach once again prove they are in the top folk music class for inventiveness and dynamic musicianship! Congratulations on a cracking album!