November

There’s a surprising amount to like in this debut recording by an Edinburgh based folk/jazz/drums’n’bass/whatever-you’re-having-yourself group.

‘Winter’s Breath’, composed by bass player Quee MacArthur, is a lovely waltz-time ballad with evocative lyrics (“Air cuts sharp into my mouth/It turns each whisper white around us”) nicely interpreted by singer Alyth McCormack, whose slightly distorted vocals also embellish Aidan O’Rourke’s old-timey fiddling on ‘Peckham’.

Elsewhere, there’s interesting use of flamenco-style handclapping, nifty syncopated rhythms and assorted electronic noises, with traditional and contemporary styles integrated far more seamlessly than on most crossover projects. This crowd have clearly put a lot of thought and emotion into what they’re doing and it works.