Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Energy is, for some, an illusion of consequence; the artist believing they have found a purpose, the fan absorbing the quantity with relish…but both forgetting that the truth lays in quality, and there the energy can fail, be lacklustre, unfailing in its approach, but not delivering in style.  True energy, the kind that can shift the universe, which can alter the perception of the listener is one of faith, and in How To Raise The Wind by Sarah-Jane Summers & Juhani Silvola, that faith is rewarded with competition and a sense of wonderful musical purity.

Following on from the 2023 album Sølvstrøk, the capacity of duty to the listener in the chamber folk arena by the pair is more than evident, it is unmistakable and proud of its earnest, as well as upbeat, quality.

There is a generous depth of feeling to the album that comes from the intelligence of working with somebody that you respect and admire, that the sense of comfortable intuition is deeply rooted above the drama that others may provide; and whilst drama can spur you into places of investigation, the soul does not require spectacle; it does not have space for fuss or the tragicomedy of errors that result…instead it just needs to be hear and be given space to perform.

Across tracks such as Polkadots & Moonshine, The Enchanted Sons Of Kings, Let Me Stay Till I Dance This Reel, and the finale of Psalm (How To Raise The Wind) energy is the pinnacle of the Scottish/Finnish duo’s examination of the craft, and with the featured playing of Seonaid Aitkin, Patsy Reid, Katrina Lee, Sonia Cromarty, and Rikard Toften Holst in attendance and adding intrigue to the overall feel of the recording, a deeply satisfying encounter which is fierce and commanding, but filled with peace, with an accord of freedom driven through its intense heart.

Energy displaced is a waste, it loses its charm quickly, it becomes ignored, timid and dull; in a piece of art that understands quality and the attribute of worth, it is essential and without condition, such is the gravity and charm of How To Raise The Wind; for in this pocket of undeterred beauty lays a dynamic of vital importance that will not be dismissed. 

Ian D. Hall