Search - Seelyhoo :: Leetera

Fusion of styles, but still winsomely Scottish

11/12/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Leetera" - Seelyhoo - Greentrax - CDTRAX 160Scottish band Seelyhoo's second album "Leetera" takes them perceptibly closer to the elite league of bands like Capercaillie. A tight 6-piece outfit, Seelyhoo's sound orbits the driving accordion of Sandy Brechin and the understated but warm vocals of Fiona Mackenzie. But Orkney's musical prodigies Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley seem to have upped their input on this recording. The fiddling of Jennifer features throughout, but never better than on the stand-out instrumental set "Cheese Peace" and "The Slip 'In". And Hazel's syncopated guitar and tasteful keyboards beautifully complement the tight percussion and bass of Jim Walker and Niall Muir.The depth of Seelyhoo's talent is shown by the number of fine tunes and songs written by band members. Some of these, like the Wrigleys' song "Restoration Day", have a notably contemporary sound, while others come closer to their traditional Gaelic roots. Indeed Lewis islander Fiona Mackenzie contributes a number of her own songs in Gaelic. But just to further confound us the group also takes traditional Gaelic songs like "Nighin Rus Bhan" and turns them into totally new entities. The overall result is a masterful fusion of styles that is still unmistakably and winsomely Scottish."