Tag: Breabach

Ewan Robertson isn’t a name I was aware of but on the strength of this album I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for him in the future. Being immediately drawn to Richard Thompson’s “Vincent Black Lightning” (…a deeply rooted habit of checking out how other established artists are re-interpreted) I wasn’t disappointed. Led by Ewan MacPherson’s groovy mandolin set-up to the punchy vocals provided by Robertson the track displays quite admirably that our Celtic cousins are most definitely in the ascendant. Perhaps not a songwriter himself, Robertson undoubtedly has an ear for good songs from established performers and some, perhaps not quite so well known. On another subject…arrangements! Now, some of you who listen to this recording might feel that the choppy banjo rhythm utilised on Steve Knightley’s “Man Of War” strays into areas already covered by the likes of Benji Kirkpatrick in Seth Lakeman’s band but there’s copious amounts of rhythm set-ups worth plagiarising and so long as it pleases your intended audience I personally see no harm in utilising them to your advantage. Finally, in my capacity as a reviewer I’d like to put in my own sixpence worth and suggest that Ewan also looks at the works of another rising folk singer/songwriter Reg Meuross…I’m sure he’d do some great covers. Hopefully we should be hearing a lot more about this fine artist in the next few years and here is where it all began.

PETE FYFE

Artist’s website: http://breabach.com/about/ewan-robertson