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The Clydesiders |
Crossing The Borders CD + DOWNLOAD |
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"Another nice surprise was The Clydesiders, ’Crossing the Borders’. Featuring songs from both the Scottish and English traditions, sung by four guys with who sound great together, with a nice wailing fiddle to boot. The Clydesiders are Sandy Kelso on vocals; Duncan McCrone on guitar and vocals; Chris Stout on fiddle, keyboards and vocals; John Graham on guitar, mandolin and vocals; and Duncan MacDonald on bass. The lads have been around since the early 1970’s, and the influences of the folk revival are front and center, although I found this pleasing rather than making them seem too dated. The arrangements are straightforward, centered on multiple vocals with a guitar and bass backing and a fiddle wailing over the top. As one might expect with veterans, there isn’t a bad song on the album, but there are several old favorites that stand out. I particularly liked "Highland Harry," "Tae the Beggin’," "Band O’Shearers," "Albion Heart," and "The Rowan Tree." I also liked McCrone’s "The Surf and the Silver Fishes." I enjoyed the instrumental sets, but it’s difficult to find a group of strong male voices that blend as well together as the ones on this album. Fans of both Scottish and English Traditional music will enjoy Crossing the Borders." Greenmanreview.com