Proterra is Runrig's latest album, released to coincide with their 30th anniversary as a group. Far from being a retrospective or collection of hits, this album includes 11 new pieces and two rerecorded songs that had previously been released on Recovery (1982), but were entirely redone with the group's new singer, Bruce Guthro (though to be calling him the "new singer" is a bit silly as this is his third studio album with the group and he has also done a live album, but I guess five years out of 30 is still pretty new).

This time around, they also chose to work with Paul Mounsey, a Scottish composer living in Brazil, best known for his Nahoo trilogy that mixed world music with traditional Scottish. A similar formula has been followed with several of the pieces, including the title track. The majority of the album though, is classic Runrig. The folk-rock songs have been written predominantly by brothers and founding members Calum and Rory MacDonald. The vaguely political songs with strong guitar and percussion make up the backbone of their repertoire and a number of them appear here. Three original Gaelic songs are also included.

Since Runrig's creation in the late '70s, they have been well known for writing original songs that capture their Scottish culture and reflect the importance they place on Gaelic. This album follows that mission with many of its songs. "The Old Boys," one of the rerecorded tunes, tells the tale of a battle in Canada where General Wolfe wrote that the Scottish soldiers should be sent in first as their loss would be "no great mischief." The lyrics recall the longing for a home that they know they will never see again except in death. Very depressing, but also very moving.

"From the North" makes me think of big burly men in kilts with beards and claymores going down south to join the ranks fighting against invasion. The song features bagpipes quite prominently, which is a bit strange for Runrig, but it fits in the song perfectly. A nice contrast to "The Old Boys," where there was no choice in whether or not to fight, it shows the fighting spirit at its best.

"All the Miles," one of the few songs not written by the MacDonald brothers, is a beautiful song by Guthro and Malcolm Jones, the band's multi-instrumentalist. Evoking a longing for home and the people waiting there, it is achingly beautiful.

Next comes "A Reiteach" (translated rather uselessly as "The Reiteach"). This highly danceable tune tells the tale of a traditional Scottish betrothal ceremony (a reiteach) and features the rhythms of Mounsey quite prominently. As a friend of mine said, "It sounds like a bunch of percussionists, a piper and some guys singing Gaelic," which is sort of what it is. The imagery created is quite fantastic despite the language barrier. You can see the bride being entertained by her intended's friends pleading on his behalf while he waits outside to see if she will accept.

The final tune is one of two instrumental pieces on the album. "Angels from the Ashes," written by former member Blair Douglas, is a beautiful piano piece. It is a nice gentle ending to a fantastic recording. The one low point is "Gabriel's Sword," written by Guthro. Given what a well-respected songwriter he is, I expected better from him and, although the lyrics are lovely if obscure, the tune sounds like a dirge.

The musicians all put forth wonderful performances. I would recommend this album to any fan of folk music. Though not always what would typically considered Celtic, their love of Scotland and its Highland and Island culture comes shining through. Any fan of Runrig will love this album and anyone not familiar with them should have a listen and find out what it's all about!

- Rambles
written by Jean Emma Price
published 22 November 2003