The Sheiling -- an Aberystwyth band! Must be part of the resurgent Welsh scene then -- nope. Ah, the "Sheiling," meaning a crofter's hut -- have to be a Celtic crossover then ... er, no again. In fact, the majority of this five-piece's debut CD could have emerged out of any folk club in the country.

A Touch of Rain borrows traditional tunes and classics -- putting them back unblemished, before anybody would have noticed that they've even gone. "Cruel Mother" kicks off the journey into the known with wistful, easy-flowing vocals striding over a fiddle and guitar arrangement that's simple and compelling. "The Flower of Magherallyo," "She's Like the Swallow" and "Across the Western Ocean" carry on in the same "stripped to the bone arrangements with beautiful vocals" vein.

There are few shocks until we get to "Clothes of Sand." You'd have to be brave or extremely foolhardy to force comparisons with Nick Drake on your first outing -- wouldn't you? In treating it like an old friend, they manage to get away with it -- just! Biting the bullet they then take on the Bard of Tamworth-in-Arden's "Joey," madness you'd think but with Bethen Ifans sharing vocal duties with Dylan Jones, bringing a depth of light and shade to Ian Gulley's faithful guitar work, the quicksand's nimbly avoided.

The group delve into Welsh folklore on "Ambell I Gan" and "Y Gwanwyn Du," with Bethen taking the lead on vocal duties. These tunes show the best of the Sheiling, superbly sung lilting melodies falling into tuned-down guitars and at times an almost raw fiddle. A Touch of Rain is well worth a spin if only to hear two vocalists at the top of their game.

The album has a lo-fi, almost homespun feel to it -- leaving you with the impression that's there much more yet to come from this particular corner of Aberystwyth.

[ by Steve Davies ]
Rambles: 18 August 2002