SKILDA – Skyewalker (Celluloid 006628)

Now Luke here (sorry about that…couldn’t resist it), with the title Skyewalker used for their latest CD release you’d expect something a bit new-age-ish from the band Skilda and indeed, in some respects they are. But the cross-fertilisation of electronica and folk music is a thing of beauty in the band’s ever creative hands and now, three albums in they really have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. For those who have an aversion (as they see it) to tampering with ‘folk music’ they should seriously take another look and re-evaluate how modern ‘pop’ music can be influenced and yet not overshadow the (in this case) Breton and Scottish Celtic roots. Much like Vaughan Williams and Cecil Sharpe collecting source material band leader Kenny Brendan does a similar job but with aural sounds, not songs. These are th en utilised in the recording process and overdubbed with the ethereal vocals of Kohann and the full-on instrumental sounds of the band with special guest John A Helliwell (Supertramp) on saxophone and guitarist Gaetan Grandjean on the track “Willow’s Song”. Talking of “Willow’s Song”, this is an imaginative re-working of “The Wickerman” movie scene where Edward Woodward has a fitful night dreaming of Britt Ekland banging on the adjacent bedroom wall…I’ll leave the rest to you. This really is an album that you need to put aside any prejudices and allow yourself to be carried on a wave of euphoric sound-scapes and I can’t help but recommend it highly enough.

PETE FYFE