Dàimh
Sula
Goat Island Music
2 June 2023
In 2018, Dàimh marked their 20th anniversary by releasing a studio album, The Rough Bounds, their first in 5 years. Another 5-year break, not much they could do to shorten this one, and it’s time to celebrate the release of Sula, another masterful album from northwest Scotland’s musical powerhouse. Taking its name from the old Norse word for a gannet, the album follows its predecessor in presenting a mix of the band’s own compositions along with traditional songs and tunes. All are given the extra sparkle that has always typified Dàimh’s arrangements, boosted here by contributions from some very well-respected guests. Membership of the band is unchanged from the 2018 lineup. At the core are the three remaining founder members, Angus MacKenzie on pipes and whistles, Gabe McVarish on fiddle and Ross Martin on guitars. Ellen MacDonald’s spine-tingling voice again takes the vocal lead, and Murdo Cameron adds both accordion and mandola to the instrumentation. A long-time member of The Battlefield Band, Alasdair White, who contributed fiddle to The Rough Bounds, again adds a second fiddle and also banjo. He’s now listed among the band members on the CD sleeve.
Sula opens in classic Dàimh style with a sprightly three-tune set, If It Plays, led by Angus’s pipes over a strummed rhythm that is soon reinforced as two of the album’s guests join in. Initially, it’s the bodhrán of Martin O’Neill, closely followed by double bass from who else but James Lindsay. The opening tune is an Angus and Murdo joint composition; the second and third are from Alasdair. Having reassured us that the band is in fine fettle instrumentally, it’s only to be expected that the following track highlights Ellen’s voice, and it also introduces another guest, Megan Henderson, on backing vocals. The song is Chaidh Mis’ A dh’Eubhal Imprig; the title roughly translates as “I went to Euabhal”, the Gaelic name for the highest point on Lewis. The tune has the steady rhythm typical of a waulking song and the equally typical, meaningless sounds that form the oft-repeated chorus. The verses, though, have an ancient story to tell, a story of multiple murders and hatred for the murderer, the infamous Hugh MacDonald of Skye. Lewis and Skye are two of the many islands whose history and culture have long inspired Dàimh’s music. The Hebrides, both Inner and Outer, and Lochaber, the rugged and remote area of the mainland that lies closest to the Inner Isles, collectively make up Dàimh’s inspirational bedrock. The three founder members live there, and, as for the more recent arrivals, Murdo was born in the Lochaber village of Glenelg, Alasdair was born and grew up on Lewis, and Ellen attended the Gaelic language college on Skye. The popularity of their music now has them travelling worldwide, but scroll through the band’s Facebook page, and it’s clear just how many of their performances and other activities still take place in their N W Scotland heartland.
The album has four more traditional Gaelic songs, each with a geographical or historical connection. Tàladh Choinnich Òig is a lullaby, opening with a gentle, repetitive guitar phrase that is soon overlain by Ellen’s rich voice, Megan again coming in for the chorus. Fiddle and double bass join in on the accompaniment, expanding the range at both ends and providing a perfect match for the voice. As calming a piece of Gaelic poetry as you could wish for. The necessary local connection comes from the song having been collected in the Kintail district of Lochaber.
A rather different song follows, Tha Ghaoth An Iar A’ Gobachadh, a traditional song of the sea collected from Harris. As is so often the case, the lyrics complain endlessly about uncooperative winds while the tune, in Ellen’s hands, retains a gentle lilt. The melody, though, is quite robust, allowing the band to develop a more full-bodied arrangement. This is very noticeable in the choruses when two male voices join Ellen and Megan. These belong to Manran’s, Ewen Henderson and Dàimh’s vocalist prior to Ellen, Calum Alex MacMillan. Accordion and fiddles are the featured instruments in the arrangements, whilst bodhrán, bass and guitar look after the rhythm.
The fourth song continues the maritime theme. An Dubh Ghleannach, in English, The Dark Lady of the Glen, concerns a boat built in the 1770s and active around the harbours of Lochaber and the neighbouring islands until lost in stormy weather in 1817. The song is based on a contemporary poem by Alasdair MacKinnon, which sings the praises of what must have been a magnificent boat. Dàimh’s arrangement for the song leaves plenty of space around Ellen’s voice, allowing it to dominate. The instrumentation, though, is surprisingly well layered with guitar, accordion, fiddle and eventually pipes. Ellen’s joined by the three backing vocalists for the choruses. In many respects a similar assemblage to the previous song but generates quite a different atmosphere.
The final song closes the album and again takes its lyrics from a poem, this one written by Western Isles poet Alasdair Ferguson as a hymn to the fallen of the 1914-18 war and Fhearchair Eòghainn in particular. Taken at the pace of a lament, the arrangement is as pared back as one could ever envisage from Dàimh. The initial accompaniment is just accordion, eventually joined by Angus forsaking his pipes for the whistle. A fiddle takes the lead for an instrumental break, joining the accompaniment once Ellen’s voice returns.
The tracks between these songs are the type of tune sets that have long been Dàimh’s trademark. With the title Miss MacGregor’s Traditional Jigs, it’s pretty obvious what you’re going to get. Surely the only question could be, “Who’s Miss MacGregor?” The set opens with I Lost My Love and the fiddles duet to establish the tune, joined a second time around by guitar and bodhrán. When the melody changes to Drummond Castle, Angus’s pipes take over as lead instrument staying at the front of the mix when Miss MacGregor’s Favourite completes the set. No lyrics, of course, so my question remains forever unanswered, but as the pipes fade, the feet are still tapping, and the heart is beating just a bit faster.
Puff Puff seems a very appropriate name for a pipe-led set of tunes, and its five melodies don’t disappoint. Opening with a Strathspey, four reels follow. Drone and chanter kick off the set steadily, gradually getting more adventurous until they’re eventually joined by a guitar rhythm for the reels—another five-minute workout for players and listeners alike. There’s one more tune set with the title Peggy Shrimpy Jonny—three tunes each, written by a different band member. Peggy is short for Mrs Peggy Kirk of Laig and comes from Gabe; Shrimpy is by Alasdair and an Angus piece; Johnny took a dive closes the set. All three are pipe led with some notable variations in the background. In particular, the opening tune gives an opportunity for Murdo’s mandola to take a leading role in the arrangement. The final instrumental is Altasaig, composed by Murdo; it turns the spotlight on his accordion combining it with fiddle on a tune that takes a rather calmer approach than the previous couple.
Dàimh’s choice of studio for recording Sula speaks volumes for their commitment to their home territory. On the small island of Bernera, just off the west coast of Lewis, lies Black Bay Studio. Describing itself as “the recording studio at the edge of the world”, it reckons to be the UK’s most remote; I doubt they have much competition. Dàimh chose December to de-camp there for the bulk of the recording, and musically it has paid dividends. Engineer and mixer Barry Reid has delivered a wonderfully textured recording, and I’ll assume the minimal amount of daylight at that time of the year has had no lasting impact on the band’s mental health. This is the third Dàimh album I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing, and my enjoyment of and respect for their music just keeps on growing. If you’ve not sampled their music before, listening to Sula is a great place to start. And if you have, you’ll already be ordering your copy.
For upcoming live dates, visit: https://www.daimh.net/events/