Celtic folk rock. Now that is a genre I never thought I would ever tackle on this blog, but as fate would have it, I was bestowed a copy of Gourock band Reely Jiggered‘s album, Kaleidoscope, and unexpectedly it turned out to be something I really enjoyed.

The record is chock full of really catchy jigs such as Warrior, Cuban Brenda and the bagpipe heavy Folk Police. While most of the songs are instrumental, now and again the listener is graced with the beautiful voice of Alison McNeill in the likes of Parting Glass, La Lorona and John Anderson. There are also a variety of tracks that are dripping with goosebump-inducing atmosphere, such as the title track and Scarborough Fair.

With Clumsy Lover serving as the last hurrah, this is a wonderful album that embraces the Celtic culture fantastically, thanks to a grand sound created by excellent instrumentation, luminous vocal talents and enjoyable writing.