SHOOGLENIFTY – The Untied Knot (Shoogle SHOOGLE15015)

SHOOGLENIFTY TheUntiedKnotYou never know what you’ll get with Shooglenifty. Venus In Tweeds was one thing, Murmichan another and The Untied Knot is something else again. Lots of new somethings, in fact. Words for a start.

On the first play The Untied Knot felt rather dark and that begins with the cover art by John Byrne. I know that these people are dancing and supposedly having fun but look at them. The impression is reinforced by Quee MacArthur’s title track which opens the first set. The drums, although very quiet, sound as though they have been imported from another piece of music; not wrong exactly, just unsettling. They fade still further before Garry Finlayson’s banjo opens the second part of the medley and then come back as straightforward as you please.

With the departure of Luke Plumb, who has returned home to Australia, new boy Ewan MacPherson has shouldered his share of tune-writing responsibility including the all-purpose march ‘Somebody’s Welcome To Somewhere’ and ‘Samhla Reel/Scolpaig’. Plumb left the band with two new tunes, ‘The Highway Carpark’ and ‘The Arms Of Sleep’ – although if I had a night such as the one he depicts I’d be seriously worried.

The big innovation is the input of Gaelic singer Kaela Rowan mixing old and new songs and some stunning puirt a beul while Shooglenifty travel the world. The prime example is ‘The High Road To Jodpur/Am Bothan A Bh’aig Fionnghuala’ which mixes mouth music and a decidedly sub-continental melody. Finally ‘Fitzroy Crossing’ is a dreamy Australia-inspired piece by Angus R Grant to calm everything down.

Once again Shooglenifty have done something different and made a remarkable new album.

Dai Jeffries

‘Someone’s Welcome To Somewhere’ live, featuring Ross Ainslie:


We all give our spare time to run folking.com. Our aim has always been to keep folking a free service for our visitors, artists, PR agencies and tour promoters. If you wish help out and donate something (running costs currently funded by Paul Miles), please click the PayPal link below to send us a small one off payment or a monthly contribution.