This debut full-length album from the Orkney lassies follows their low-budget, self-titled EP and is a fully realized statement of intent. Each of the band's members has an enviable musical pedigree, and they waste no time in setting out their stall as torch bearers of a freshly reinvigorated tradition. Of all the tracks here, the fiery opening tune set "The Dragon" perhaps best showcases the Orcadian style of fiddle playing that, owing to the Norse influence, has a distinctly different flavor from the Gaelic sound that permeates the majority of Scottish folk music. "Shapinsay" (named, like the band itself, for one of the islands of the Orkney archipelago) starts with a melancholy tone before bursting out into something which might more readily be heard in a Boston speakeasy, and it's far from the only tune here with a North American influence. The recording, rather dry, is of significantly better quality than that of their debut EP, meaning the full nuances of the tracks re-recorded here can be properly discerned. While the use of three fiddles gives an extra dimension to the sound, allowing multiple melodic lines to be played simultaneously, it's the use of the piano (not a typical folk instrument) that gives this music its unique character. Jennifer Austin's experience as a composer of film music and contemporary classical brings an atmospheric touch, which is nowhere keener felt than on "Three Fishers," a chilling ode to the destructive power of the sea that many small communities traditionally depended on for their livelihood. "Men must work and women must weep/For the storms be sudden and the waters be deep." In an album full of highlights, it's one of the very best, and the first to showcase the gorgeous vocals of Jeana Leslie. A lively version of the Irish folk standard "Whisky You're the Devil" is given a feminine touch with verses written by
Bella Hardy. "Bright Grey," making a reappearance from their EP, is the only thing here written by former member Louise Bichan. It's strident and bold, with a melancholy edge, before it segues into a stunning dance tune. The absolutely gorgeous, bittersweet instrumental "Changing Plans" is another of the album's highlights, while a moving rendition of Robert Burns' "My Heart's in the Highlands" features some lovely vocal harmonies. "Cheeky Vimto," another lively tune set, is named for the band's favorite beverage, a blue alcopop mixed with a shot of port (Vimto is a popular British fruit-flavored soda, which the resultant wicked concoction somewhat resembles). The album closes with a stunning a cappella rendition of "I've Endured," a tune written by old-time Appalachian singer
Ola Belle Reed, which really shows off the band's beautiful vocal harmonies. This is, hands down, one of the albums of the year in any genre.
Fara are one of the most exciting discoveries to emerge from the Scottish folk scene in recent years, and on the basis of this debut, appear to have a very bright future ahead of them. ~ John D. Buchanan