No music stirs my heart like Celtic music -- and yet, I admit, I can only take limited doses of bagpipes at a time. So when I stuck in the CD from Clann An Drumma and heard the opening strains of the pipes, my first impulse was to pass this disc along to someone who'd appreciate the instrument more than I.

Fortunately, my finger was slow on the button. When the percussion kicked in, I realized this wasn't your usual sort of bagpipe music. Sure, the tunes are mostly traditional pieces and, yes, the pipes tend to carry the melody; that distinctive skirl is almost always present in the mix. But the band's thunderous approach to percussion gives a whole new flair to that tried and true sound.

Clann An Drumma is based in Glasgow, Scotland, and features Donnie MacNeil on pipes. That lone piper matches his excellent chops against Tu-Bardh Wilson, Jacquie Holland, Joe Kilna MacKenzie and Jamesie Johnston, all providing solid layers of drums and percussion. The four drummers also add vocalizations -- often wordless, sometimes shouting -- in an unusual style that sets Tried & True apart from the norm.

There are also breaks from piping, with tracks like "First Foot," an arrangement blending vocals and percussion to create a sound midway between Celtic and African in its effect. Percussion goes it alone for the virtual drum circle of "Practi Mor." There are a few songs, too, including the a cappella "Peaceful ... is the Glen." Tam MacLucas makes a guest appearance to sing "Braveheart," an original, a cappella song about the Scottish hero William Wallace set to the tune of "The Broom of the Cowdenknowes."

There are several original pieces mixed in with the traditional tracks. Foremost of them is the lovely, lyrical, too brief air "Anderson's Lament," featuring an uncredited low whistle.

All in all, Clann An Drumma has put together a fine album that breaks the mold of traditional bagpiping, setting the style on edge with a variety of clever arrangements and embellishments. Tried & True will surely keep your foot tapping to the beat as the pipe skirls through your speakers.