Like their Scottish brethren (Shooglenifty,
Tartan Amoebas, and
Martyn Bennett)
Peatbog Faeries creatively blend a wide spectrum of musical ideas into their repertoire. Early on, one might understandably dismiss this album as rather ordinary fiddle and pipes, Celtic-rock fare. But as the album unfolds (and upon repeated listenings), its subtleties are revealed to prove wrong that initial assessment. Virtually every track is accentuated by a unique accent sometimes fleeting in duration and sometimes dictating the course of the track -- like the brief injection of a mbaqanga guitar line in "Weary We've Been/Dancing Feet" and the Tubular Bells motif present throughout "Lexy Macaskill." Other tracks unveil additional disparate tendencies like the reggae rhythms in "Angus McKinnon," the Eastern-influenced "Macedonian Women's Rant," and the funky grooves and jazzy keyboards of "Maids of Mount Cisco." ~ Dave Sleger