Despite its slightly dodgy title and the fact that the record company has referred to it as the "Scotch tradition," this compilation, part of the EMI Hemisphere series, includes some of the most influential Scottish groups of the 1990s.

With the aim of presenting innovative traditional Scottish musicians, there are a lot of groups and solo artists to choose from. The 17 chosen as representatives of the new Scottish folk hail from many, though not all, regions of the country, sing in Gaelic and English and play traditional and modern instruments. They are a very diverse lot, with diverse styles. But despite that, there is a commonality between them. Maybe it's because certain musicians reappear several times in different groups. Or maybe it's because they all want to see their music given the respect it deserves. Perhaps it's a desire they all share in wanting to preserve Scottish music while not letting it get left behind and be lost. Whatever it is, it ties this album together beautifully.

Many of the groups will be familiar to those interested in Scottish music, such as Jim Sutherland, Shooglenifty, Dougie MacLean, Tannas and Old Blind Dogs. Others are less well known, like Khartoum Heroes, Bongshang or Rock, Salt & Nails. Though they may not have achieved the same status as some of the other groups, they are all very talented. There isn't a single bad track on the album, but there are some that are stellar as opposed to really good.

Paul Mounsey's "Passing Away" is a searing mix of traditional music with modern elements, overlain with spoken word about the demise of the Gaelic language. Two tracks, "Beaujolais Nouveau" by the Humpff Family and "Grandmother's Eyes" by Rock, Salt & Nails, focus on the prominence of emigration in Scottish life and history. Tannas's beautiful Gaelic piece, Jim Sutherland's eclectic and energetic instrumental number and Dougie MacLean's "All Together" are some of the other treasures to be found here. The liner notes are very helpful for the novice as they provide a short overview of Scottish music and a small biography of each artist.

The description on the cover, "fiery new music from Scotland," is fairly accurate. Each group and each track is old made new. They have all been created with passion and they are definitely fiery. This collection is either a great introduction to many modern Scottish groups or a nice compilation for anyone already familiar with the style.

- Rambles
written by Jean Emma Price
published 31 July 2004