Ross Ainslie
Album: Remembering
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.rossainslie.com/

For those who follow the thriving traditional music scene north of the border, the name Ross Ainslie will be a familiar one. From his excellent duo with Uilleann piper Jarlath Henderson to the mighty Treacherous Orchestra, Ross is very much a leading light in the development of Scottish Traditional music. Best known as a tunesmith, as well as one of the greatest pipers of his generation, this latest offering sees Ross extending his song writing with an impressive supporting cast to bring his energising arrangements to life.

With such a strong line up of musicians, every track displays an extremely high standard of musicianship and has an excellent balance between instrumental and vocal lines. My personal favourite of all the songs is the collaboration with Hamish Napier, Dreaming Daisy. It has an exuberant quality that buzzes with light and the lyrics tell a very contemporary love story. The track Jock Speaks features the voice of the legendary Jock Duncan, reminiscing about his life and segues beautifully into Head High. The final three tracks all link together and the way they develop and grow really reminds me of Treacherous Orchestra, with the strong riff based instrumentals.

A Ross Ainslie album wouldn't be complete without some cracking instrumental tracks and Remembering doesn't disappoint. The warm and lyrical Lullaby for Mel allows all the ensemble to shine both as individuals and collectively. However the catchy Skins has been my earworm for the past few days, with its unusual rhythmic emphasis and strong sense of direction.

This wasn't the album I expected to hear when I received it for review, being more familiar with Ross as an instrumentalist. However, his song writing is every bit the equal of his instrumental skill, accompanied by an exceptional group of musicians who have successfully brought his lyrics to life with vibrancy and flair.

Nicky Grant