Whyte, Fairich. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The mood is always one that is constantly evolving, ever changing in the face of those who face the world with serious thought or the natural disposition of seeing life as an orchestral arrangement; the feeling that somewhere in the mind is a music sheet of paper being written upon and seizing every note, every cascading thought, and the end result if viewed with passion, is akin to Whyte’s debut album Fairich, a wave of inspiration and recorded ambience in which life is seen to be surrounded by the inevitable and the sonically beautiful.

Marking the fusion of the traditional with the electronic is not a genre you normally come across in the day to day goings on of the world, it can often be two ends of a spectrum, the mix for example of the dirty Blues and erotic Jazz becoming a tangled mess, the message losing heart in the overthrow of the search for meaning; so it is with electronic and traditional and yet through the Gaelic song and incredible delicate touch of the poetic stance, this fusion works with grace and cool. The merriment of finding that perfect scotch which enhances the flavour of the smoked meat is mirrored without impunity in Fairich.

The sympathy one would naturally feel for the Traditional layering of music in most forms, takes a huge alluring, confident step in Fairich, mainly due to the supportive and compassionate way that the electronic variations which are weaved throughout the album are shown to be composed and unflappable. This is not two competing genres trying to vie for attention by drowning the other out, this is a compelling mixture of musical athleticism, of raw pleasant duty.

In the tracks Fuaim an Taibh, Cumha ni Mhic Ragnaill and Cionran the feeling of being taken out of yourself, of floating above the scene and witnessing a difference, feeling the possibility that if two different strands of music can get along then why cannot those who make it. Fairich is the surprise of the year so far but one that is unruffled, patient and one that you cannot help but admiring for its skill.

Ian D. Hall