Strange Turns

This five-piece band hail from Texas and play an eclectic blend of Irish, Scottish, Breton, American, Canadian and original tunes, plus contemporary songs by everyone from Holly Near to Todd Rundgren. The first track on the CD sets the pace, with the Irish session classic ‘Julia Delaney’ segueing into an alt-countryish rendition of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’, which in turn is followed seamlessly by the old Bill Monroe bluegrass number ‘Jerusalem Ridge’. Two strong female singers – Christy McLeod and Betsy Cummins – handle most of the lead vocal duties, but happily the splendidly gravel-voiced Gordon McLeod is on hand to relieve any excess sugar. Highland piper Richard Kean adds a fine Caledonian element to the mix.