Had Pentangle decided to get together here and now, they'd have most likely been LinnTilla. That's no slight either, since Jacqui McShee and Co were,at their inception, out to mix traditional/acoustic with about everything in the blender; likewise this outfit, helmed by Steafan Hannigan.
Declaring their intention to fuse grooves, beats and programming with Brit trad, approaching the task from a variety of experiences, this album leads off with bold ambitions. However, hold on McDuff, don't expect the Afro Celts whirling jiggery or Martin Bennett's thudding dance floor wha hey, rather this is thoughtful, supportive arranging, even respectful. In vocalist Cecilia le Poer Power - is that really her name? - they've quite a find, a voice that softly gets inside a song without overpowering the lyric, yet delivering velvet strength on I Wandered by a Brookside and Still Growing.

Melodically, they've pulled in tunes from all over the place, good to see the credits; the playing is likewise brisk and stately rather than full tilt. Interestingly the band's main movers are multi-instrumentalists Hannigan and Murray Grainger and that has meant the core of the jigs, airs and reels is preserved; the rhythm the slave to the tune and not vice versa. Refreshing that. Where things get really fascinating though is where intelligent remixer Al-Pha-X, alias Declan Flynn, is let loose with the original tapes. The closing tracks bear his stamp as things get decidedly spaced, not overly, but certainly wiggy and heading out there. Trance folk? Maybe not quite but certainly bleary-eyed.

More to follow they reckon, the project has only just begun. The next
chapter should be well worth the wait. www.linntilla.com, www.offspringrecords.co.uk

		Simon Jones, fRoots -Dec 2005